Ready to Start
by makesmyheadspin
Summary: After a shocking murder in Bon Temps, Sookie is caught between her best friend, Sam, and new boyfriend Eric who may just know more about the murder than he's willing to let on. AH/OOC Rated M for language but eventual lemons.
1. A Morning to Forget

Chapter 1: A Morning to Forget

"To Sookie! Congratulations, baby girl," Dad said with a proud smile and a kiss on my cheek.

"Thank you, Daddy," I smiled at him and then at everyone else sitting around the table. "And thanks to all of you, too."

"To Sookie!" my family chorused back and then drank their champagne.

I had finally graduated from college. There had been a point where I didn't think I was ever going to finish, but I was done. Now there was the fun part of finding a job, a feat not so easy in an economy that was in the toilet. I was willing to travel anywhere I had to in order to work. I didn't particularly want to leave my small town of Bon Temps, but I needed to work and I didn't want to spend the rest of my life waiting tables at Sam's bar.

"Congratulations, Sookie," Sam smiled from his seat beside me.

"Thanks, Sam," I leaned over and gave him a hug. I didn't hug him very often, mostly because it felt kind of weird to do that, but given the circumstances I figured a hug was in order. "If it wasn't for you, I'd be in debt until I'm a sixty."

He got that usual blush he seemed to get whenever someone paid him a compliment, no matter how small it was. "Awww come on, you know if I could figure out a way to convince you, I'd keep you working with me until you retired."

"You'll still have me until I find a teaching job, don't you worry. Besides, I can always lend a hand when you need it," I patted his shoulder.

"Yeah, but it won't be the same without you there everyday like you are now," he looked down at his plate.

It wasn't really a secret that Sam had a crush on me. When we were back in high school, Sam had asked me to go with him to a spring dance (not the prom) and I had agreed since no one else had asked me. I figured we were just going as friends since that's all Sam and I ever were. But then at the end of the night Sam went to kiss me and it was the most awkward few minutes of my life. I loved Sam, I really and truly did, but I didn't feel that way about him.

There's never a good way to reject someone and there was definitely some turbulence in our friendship after that. It took him a while to lick his wounds and accept that I didn't see him the same way he saw me. In the end, Sam was able to reconcile with the idea that he would rather be my friend than nothing at all. We were slowly able to build our friendship back up to where it was and by the time he opened his own restaurant, we were as good as we ever were.

Getting Merlotte's open at the age of twenty was a pretty huge deal. He'd been able to do it on account of the insurance money that had been sitting in a trust since the death of his father way back when he was three-years-old. While most people would probably blow the money on a new car, house, vacations or other more frivolous things, Sam turned around and invested in his own business. He'd smartly partnered with Lafayette Reynolds, the executive chef, who was a few years older and definitely had a more outgoing personality than Sam did.

Lafayette was a few years older than us and the only openly gay man in town. He was black, on top of that, which only made him that more of a target for the stupid rednecks who just didn't understand the concept of equality for all, and not just the ones who fit in their stupid mold of what perfection should look like. Hell, by their standards, I don't think I fit that mold either and I was a white girl who went to church on Sundays and was fixing to start teaching elementary school.

My biggest flaw was that I was notoriously single and relatively uninterested in dating any of them, no matter how often they came onto me. They were sorely mistaken if they thought my blue eyes, blonde hair and big boobs were signs I was a moron. Don't get me wrong, I can play a dumb blonde like nobody's business, but that doesn't mean I'm an idiot. And in fact, growing up with a brother like mine had taught me quite a few things.

"Sook, I gotta get home and get some rest," Jason said when he came over to my side of the table. "Syd's been teethin' so Crystal ain't been gettin' much sleep."

"It's alright, Jase, I understand," I stood up to give my brother a hug. "If y'all want me to take her on Thursday night, I'd be happy to. I'm sure y'all can use a break."

"I'll talk it over with Crystal," Jason grinned and gave me a hug. "I'm real proud of you, Sook."

"Thanks," I squeezed him tightly.

"Take care, Sam," Jason saluted Sam before giving Dad a bear hug and accepting a kiss goodbye from Gran.

Slowly but surely, everyone else started to head home. Dinner had been fantastic, even though Gran had thrown a small fit when Dad said we were going out instead of having dinner at home. Gran had been ready to make a feast big enough for the whole town and was disappointed to learn it wasn't going to happen. Dad drove Gran home, leaving me to ride with Sam. I knew if I went into Gran's house, she'd try to sucker me into staying and while I loved her, I didn't want her waking me up at dawn to pull weeds. For the first time in maybe my whole life, I could sleep in late in my own little house and not worry about someone fetching me to do chores.

Sam's stepfather owned a row of small rental properties closer to the center of town. The houses were all the same, just painted different colors. The price was right (he'd cut me a break on account of me being in college and a friend of Sam's) and there was ample space for me being all by myself. I had a living room, kitchen, dining room, two bedrooms and two and half baths. Plus there was the front porch and my small backyard. It wasn't glamorous but it was all mine. I loved my little house.

Sam pulled into my driveway just before midnight and when he put the car in park I turned toward him and asked, "Did you want to come in for a little while?"

"Sure," he smiled at me and turned the car off.

While I walked to the front door I got my keys out of my purse. My old yellow Nova was pulled further up the gravel driveway, closer to the kitchen door I usually went in and out of. Jason just about had a kitten when he found out Dad was giving me the Nova. Dad and Jason had pretty much rebuilt that car but I needed one to get back and forth from school and I just couldn't afford to take on a car payment. So when the American muscle cars were starting to be redesigned one by one, Dad bided his time until the Charger became available.

I wasn't going to be able to drive the Nova forever, but it got me where I needed to go. It also happened to be somewhat of a guy magnet. I knew next to nothing about cars, other than how to change my own oil, change a tire and simple car maintenance stuff. I didn't know anything about engines, transmissions or whatever else was under the hood. When we stepped into the house I flipped the light switch near the door and kicked off my shoes. Sam followed suit behind me and took a seat on the couch.

"I'm just going to run upstairs real quick," I gestured toward the stairs.

"I'll be here," Sam nodded and reached for the remote to watch TV.

I liked that Sam felt comfortable enough in my house to make himself feel at home. He was too old for me to entertain him all the time and we'd been friends long enough for him to know he didn't need to ask if he could get something to drink or if I minded him watching TV. I shimmied out of the cocktail dress I'd worn to dinner and pulled on a sleep shirt and drawstring pants. The pants would go after Sam did. My next big purchase was going to be a window unit air conditioner for the bedroom.

More often than not, I slept on the couch in the summertime since there was at least the ceiling fan down there. Up in my room, however, it was like being in an oven. I loved summertime, I really did, but it seemed to be coming earlier and earlier every year and not always in a good way. It'd be humid as sin, not rain and stay cloudy for days. I was a girl with few vices and tanning was one of them. I liked being golden brown year round, and even budgeted for trips to the local tanning bed to maintain it in the winter months.

When I got downstairs I wasn't the least bit surprised to find Sam had settled on one of those forensic cop shows. After a while, they all started looking the same to me. If my TV was on at all, I was usually watching the Food Network, TCM or CNN because no matter what anyone says, Anderson Cooper is adorable. I also liked his sense of humor and rather straight forward way of reporting the world's events.

"Want something to drink?" I offered, since it was the polite thing to do.

"Nah, I'm good," Sam said without looking away from the TV.

I curled up on the other end of the couch. Sam was engrossed in the program and a comfortable silence settled between us. I grabbed a book I'd been reading from the end table and opened it to the page where I'd left off. Sam and I were the kind of friends where we could be in the same room but still be alone. I could do my thing and he could do his without either of us bothering the other. I'd gotten through close to five chapters by the time Sam broke the silence.

"Are you going to Amelia's birthday party?" Sam asked out of nowhere.

I marked the page in my book and said, "Depends on whether or not my ogre of a boss is going to give me the time off."

"He's a real slave driver that guy," Sam nodded with a bashful smile.

"He is. Works me to the bone five nights a week," I nudged him with my toe. "Aren't you going to go? Laf can handle the place for a night."

"It's not that…" Sam trailed off.

"Then what?"

"I don't think Amelia likes me all that much," Sam admitted with a shrug.

"What? Sam, you're being ridiculous! Amelia likes you just fine."

"Amelia tolerates me," Sam corrected with a solemn expression. "Look, Sookie, it's fine."

The look he gave me told me he wasn't going to change his mind so I just let it drop. "I think you're being silly but I know you're going to be stubborn as a mule about it."

"You've rubbed off on me," he teased and before I knew what I was doing, I'd launched myself in his direction.

We play wrestled for a few minutes until I managed to gain the upper hand and found myself straddling Sam. "You give up?"

Sam shifted under me and I squeaked at what I felt. Sam turned red as a tomato and I scrambled to get off of him. I returned to my end of the couch while Sam looked anywhere but at me. I wanted to apologize but I didn't want to further embarrass him. I knew, on some level, his reaction was involuntary. At the same time it was a painful reminder for us both that our feelings didn't match.

"Sam, I'm really sor-"

"Don't," he held up a hand to stop me from talking. "Please just don't apologize to me, Sook."

"Where are you going?" I asked when he stood up.

"I should go home," Sam walked across the room to put on his shoes without looking back at me.

"You don't have to go, Sam."

"Yeah, I do. I'll call you tomorrow," he promised and then walked out.

I groaned in frustration and flopped over on the couch. Life would be so much easier if I could just love him the way he wanted me to.

**o.O.o.O.o**

I was snuggled warmly in my bed. A surprisingly cool breeze had kicked up just after Sam left and I decided to take advantage of the good sleeping whether while I could. I left my windows wide open, opting to burrow under my blankets instead of closing myself off from the fresh air. Birds were chirping and the sun was just starting to brighten the sky. I'd been asleep for maybe four hours.

I was rudely thrust into being awake when my phone rang on my bedside table. I reached over blindly, unwilling to open my eyes until I had to. I cracked just one eye open to see Sam's number. Just what the hell was he doing calling me so early in the morning? He knew better than anyone how much I was looking forward to sleeping in.

"What's wrong, Sam?" I knew something had to be wrong for him to be calling me like he was.

"I'm at the hospital with Tommy. Mom's been shot," Sam told me with a voice that didn't sound like his own.

"Oh my God!" I sat bolt upright in bed, completely unprepared for what he'd said. "Is she alright?"

"She's in surgery, but the doctors aren't making any promises. She lost a lot of blood before the paramedics could get there."

"What about Tommy? Is he okay?"

"He's fine. Well, I mean, he's shaken up but he's not injured. He was sound asleep when it happened. He's the one who called for help," Sam informed me and his voice started to shake. "I've never seen him so scared, Sook."

"Just hang in there, Sam, I'm on my way," I promised him.

"We're in at the hospital in Clarice," he said and then hung up.

I ended the call and jumped out of bed. Usually I needed a hot shower and a cup of strong coffee to get going in the morning, but I skipped both those things in favor of getting to the hospital to help my friend. I put on the first clean clothes I could find and nearly forgot my purse in my rush to get out of the house.

I was generally a pretty good driver but that morning, I think I blew just about every speed limit in favor of getting to Clarice that much quicker. Since it wasn't even seven in the morning yet, there was plenty of parking to choose from in the lot. I slid into the first space I could and ran to the emergency room entrance like my pants were on fire. I stopped to catch my breath and scanned the room for Sam or Tommy. When I didn't see either of them I stepped up to the admissions desk.

"Can I help you?" A chubby woman about ten years older than me asked.

"I'm looking for Marjorie Mickens. She was brought in with a gunshot wound this morning," I said.

"She's in surgery up on the fourth floor," the woman said after consulting her charts.

"Thank you," I smiled at her and then asked, "Where are the elevators?"

The woman pointed me in the right direction and I moved as fast as my legs would carry me. The elevator seemed to take forfuckever, but the doors finally opened on the fourth floor. Sam was pacing anxiously and Tommy was asleep on the small couch.

"Sam?" I whispered, not wanting to wake Tommy.

Tommy was only seven-years-old and it was unfathomable that he'd been forced to see his mother so gravely injured. The fact that he was able to think clearly enough to call for help was miraculous. Sam rushed across the room and wrapped me into one of the tightest hugs I'd ever gotten in my life, and that's saying a lot since my Grandad had been the reigning champion of Bear Hugs.

"Sam, I'm so sorry," I held onto him tightly.

There was nothing to say for a few minutes after that. I just rubbed Sam's back while he had a small breakdown that was completely justified. When he was able to get a hold of himself, we sat down in two of the chairs opposite from the couch where Tommy was sleeping.

"What happened?" I asked him gently.

Sam took a deep breath and said, "Joe shot her."

My mouth dropped open. Shock doesn't even begin to describe what I was feeling. "_Joe_ shot her? My stars, why would he do that?"

Sam shrugged and said, "I don't know. I know they were having problems but I didn't think it was…I didn't know he could…I thought it would…"

"Awww, Sam," I pulled him into another hug.

"I didn't even know there was a gun in the house," Sam shook his head after finishing his second breakdown. Sam hated guns. I didn't want to point out it was probably a recent purchase.

"How long has she been in surgery?" I calmly ran my fingers through his hair, hoping it would help to calm him down, too.

"It's been about two hours. The bullet entered through her back is was lodged in her chest. They need to make sure the bullet didn't nick any of her arteries."

"Oh, Sam," I squeezed his shoulder.

"She has to make it through this, Sook. I'm not ready to be a father and if she dies, Tommy's going to be my responsibility and I'm just not ready," Sam rubbed his eyes.

"Sam, it's going to be okay," I said and when he snorted I said, "Sam, look at me," I insisted and he did as I told him to. "It's going to be okay. I'll help you with Tommy, alright? You're not going to have to do this alone."

Sam nodded and started crying again. "I don't know what I'd do without you, Sookie," he wrapped me in another hug.

I looked over at Tommy and noticed there was blood on his pajamas. My lip started wibbling and try as I might, I couldn't hold back my tears. When Sam let me go I went to get us some coffee, since I had a feeling it was going to be a long day. Just as I was coming back with our drinks, a surgeon came out with a grim look on his face.

"Sam?" the surgeon looked right at Sam.

"Yeah, that's me," Sam stood up slowly.

"I'm Dr. Mason," the surgeon offered his hand to Sam, and then to me when I stood at Sam's side. "Are you Mrs. Merlotte?"

"Uh, no, I'm just a close family friend," I handed Sam his cup of coffee and then shook the doctor's hand.

"It's alright, Doc, you can talk in front of her," Sam smiled faintly at me and mouthed a _thank you_ for the coffee.

"Alright then," Dr. Mason nodded and proceeded to explain the extent of Marjorie's injuries.

While he talked, I remembered all the years I'd known Marjorie Mickens. She was one of the room mothers way back when Sam and I were in grade school together. She went on every field trip and attended every class play or party. She always volunteered to do anything a parent was needed to do, whether it was scoop ice cream at the ice cream social, butter garlic bread at the spaghetti dinner or fry bacon at the pancake breakfast. On top of that, Marjorie was involved in Sam's life. She felt like she needed to compensate for the loss of his father, even after she remarried when Sam was ten.

"So how is she now?" Sam asked after Dr. Mason went over the details of the surgery.

"She's in recovery now. We're not out of the woods yet and there's the possibility of infection, so we're going to keep a close eye on her. You can't see her yet, but as soon as we get her situated in a recovery room, you can go in two at a time. She needs her rest," Dr. Mason explained.

"Thank you, Dr. Mason. You saved her life," Sam grinned.

"Thank me when she's released, okay?" Dr. Mason winked at Sam, then at me.

I knew all Sam had heard out of all that was that Marjorie was resting comfortably. He didn't hear the part about how the war wasn't over and only a battle had been won, but it was Sam's way to never give up. Sam hugged me yet again and planted a kiss on my cheek.

"Thank you for being here, Sook," he said as we took our seats again.

"I wouldn't be anywhere else," I blew on my coffee for a few seconds before taking a drink.

What a morning.

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><p><strong>So there's chapter one. Thanks to Slacker Dee and Scribeninja for doing the prereading thing. And thanks to all of you for reading!<strong>


	2. Who Will Survive

Stupid FFN with all it's fuckery. It'd be nice if alerts went out like they were supposed to. Rat bastard website *shakes fist*

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><p><span>Chapter 2: Who Will Survive<span>

I went to work that afternoon for two important reasons. First, I didn't want Sam to worry the restaurant was going crazy without him there to oversee everything. Second, I couldn't handle being at the hospital anymore. After seeing us at the hospital, Mrs. Fortenberry offered to look after Tommy until Sam could come get him. It was kind of her but Tommy had one heck of a fit over it and I couldn't really blame the kid. Mrs. Fortenberry was a bigger woman and since Tommy didn't know her all that well, it was easy to understand why he'd run away from her.

Sam got him calmed down and promised to pick Tommy up later that night. I walked Tommy down to the car with him begging the whole way to come to work with me. Frankly, I needed a break and a little room to breathe. Tommy would have just been underfoot the whole night, no matter how well he behaved and I couldn't really afford to have that kind of a distraction. Keeping Arlene from flirting with her flavor of the month was difficult enough.

Apparently, Mrs. Fortenberry had told just about everyone she could about Sam's mom being shot. Everything came to a stop when I walked into the restaurant. Dozens of eyes were trained on me as I made my way past the bar toward the kitchen. I would have said something if it was my place, but it wasn't, so I kept my head down and kept walking. Lafayette followed me from the line to Sam's office and closed the door behind us.

"How's she doing?" Lafayette asked nervously.

"No change so far. She's still unconscious but that's a good thing with all the trauma she's been through today. The surgeon said it might take a day or two for her to come out of it. They were able to repair the internal damage and get the bullet out but there's a risk of infection so they're monitoring her closely," I recited for Lafayette.

"Do they think she's going to make it?"

I shrugged and said, "I don't know, Laf; it's hard to say. The bullet entered her back and did an Irish jig around her chest cavity."

"I can't believe that motherfucker shot her. I knew he wasn't right, but I didn't think he'd do this," Lafayette shook his head.

"Honey, _no one_ could have expected this and I need you to not say anything like that around Sam, okay? He's blaming himself enough as it is," I rubbed Lafayette's shoulder.

He let out a heavy sigh and said, "How are you doing? I'm guessing you've been at the hospital all day."

"Sam called me this morning," I nodded and slumped into a chair. "I'm exhausted but it's nothing compared to what Sam is going through. There was nothing else I could do for him at the hospital so I figured coming here was the next best thing."

"What about Tommy?"

"He's with Maxine," I cringed.

"Ain't the chile been through enough?" Lafayette shook his head and I had to laugh.

"I know, I know, but there weren't many choices available and she was so insistent…"

"Come on, baby girl, lets get to work," Lafayette opened the office door for me.

"You can tell the kitchen staff if you want to. I'll talk to the servers and let them know Sam's going to be out until further notice," I offered.

"Sounds good to me," he winked and then went back to the line while I went to check in with the hostess to make sure everything was as it should be.

The night probably would have dragged if it weren't for how busy I was. In addition to my regular duties as a server, I had to run Sam's post as well. By the time the restaurant closed that night, I was exhausted. I was also thankful Sam had done inventory two nights before, or it wouldn't have gotten done. I was simply too tired to be bothered with it. I stayed until everything was finished. I had Sam's keys and locked up before going over to his house to make sure everything was in order there.

Given that his front door was wide open, it was obvious he'd left in a hurry. Sam owned a house that was barely bigger than a shack that was built on the same giant lot as the restaurant. Since Sam lived by himself he didn't need much space either, but I was sure there were dorm rooms that were probably bigger than Sam's house. The coffee machine was still on, having been set to brew hours before. I emptied the pot, turned off the machine and canceled the next morning's brew. I brought the mail in and straightened things up just a little since I figured coming home to a tidier house would be nice.

If I weren't so damn tired I probably would have done his laundry and really cleaned the place from top to bottom. Not that Sam was a slob, or anything, but it was obvious he didn't get down on his hands and knees to scrub the floor, or wash the outside of his windows very often. Years of living with my Gran had conditioned me to think of a clean house differently than most people did. My least favorite chore was cleaning the oven and I hated to think of what the inside of Sam's must have looked like.

When I was satisfied with how the house looked, I grabbed him a change of clothes and some of his personal things, along with whatever mail looked important enough to be dealt with immediately. The short five minute drive home felt like it took hours instead of seconds. I left Sam's clothes in the car and dragged myself in the back door. Just the idea of climbing the steps to my bedroom exhausted me but there was no way I was going to sleep on the couch.

I peeled off my clothes, forced myself to shower just enough to get the stink of hospital and restaurant off me and then brushed my teeth before falling into bed. I think I was dead to the world before my head even hit the pillow because the next morning, I had no recollection of how I got upstairs to my room. The last thing I remembered was being in Sam's house. The only evidence I had been in my bathroom was my toothbrush laying at the edge of the basin instead of being upright in the holder, and my dirty uniform in a heap on the bathroom floor instead of being tucked in my hamper where it belonged.

I made my way downstairs and got a pot of coffee going. My paper was waiting for me out front and as expected, Marjorie being shot was front page news. There was a terrible picture of a crying Tommy sitting in the back of a squad car, waiting for Sam to come get him. My heart broke all over again for Sam and his family. I wondered if Sam had made to Maxine's to pick up Tommy the night before. I should have asked Gran to take Tommy for the night. Tommy loved Gran and he would have readily gone with her.

There were tons of messages on my answering machine with everyone wanting to know if Marjorie was okay or if there was anything they could do for Sam. I couldn't possibly call them all back like I should have. Instead, I did the next best thing and called Gran.

"Good morning," Gran greeted in her usually chipper tone.

"Hi, Gran," I sighed and sat down at the kitchen table.

"Sookie, sweetheart, how are you? How's Sam?"

"I'm fine, Gran," I said that even though there was a part of me that wanted to break down all over again. "Sam's…well, he's hanging in there, I think. I spent most of the day at the hospital with him but I went to work last night."

"That was a smart move," Gran said and then repeated my own line of thinking to me. "It's one less worry on his mind if he knows you're looking after the business."

God bless my Gran.

"I thought so," I agreed with her. "Listen, Gran, I can't stay and chat long but I have somewhere around two dozen calls that need returning so I was thinking maybe if you talked to Mrs. Fortenberry-"

"I could flush things down the pipeline," Gran finished for me.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Are you kidding? You know Maxine'll be tickled pink to have an excuse to gossip," Gran said and I could hear what I thought was bacon frying on the other end of the line.

My mouth started watering and I realized I hadn't eaten anything since I had a fruit cup the afternoon before at the hospital. I got off the phone with Gran and started making my own breakfast. Waffles, sausage and some scrambled eggs. It was more than I usually ate in the morning but it was going to be a busy day and I was definitely in need of the fuel. After cleaning up I turned the radio on while I did a little tidying in my own house. I was in the middle of switching loads of laundry when my phone rang.

I'd gotten a few calls and I'd let the machine get most of them since I wasn't in the mood to talk to most people. But when I heard Sam's voice I stopped everything and ran for the nearest handset. I caught him just before he could hang up.

"Hey, Sam," I said breathlessly. "How's it going?"

"No change yet," Sam sighed, sounding completely exhausted. "Listen, I wasn't able to get Tommy last night so I was wondering if you'd be able to pick him up for me."

"Sure, no problem. I stopped by your place last night and picked up a change of clothes and your mail. Your front door was wide open," I told him.

"Yeah, I thought of that around two this morning but I didn't want to call and wake you up. Thanks for doing that for me, Sook," he sounded so grateful I thought he might cry again.

"It's no trouble, Sam. I'm going to finish up the few things around the house I need to get done and then I'll shower up and go get Tommy. Is there anything else you need from home?" I asked him.

He gave me a short list of things he needed, including some official paperwork he needed to prove he was his mother's power of attorney and not his stepfather. It seemed strange to me, but I didn't think it was my place to ask questions. If Sam wanted me to know, I had no doubt he'd tell me about it. I finished up my chores and got in the shower. I put on my work uniform, figuring I wouldn't have time to come home and change before starting my shift.

I made a quick stop at Sam's to get what he asked for before heading to Maxine's to get Tommy. He was sitting on the front steps and jumped up the second he saw my car approaching. The car wasn't even stopped when he was pulling the door open and jumping in. Maxine waved to me from the porch where she had her yarn and cordless phone propped up with her. I waved back and then headed for the hospital.

"Did you sleep okay?" I asked Tommy.

"Her house smells funny," Tommy scrunched his nose. "Is my mom awake yet? Can I talk to her today?"

"Not yet, Tommy, she's still sleeping. But you know what? I bet she can hear everything you say if you talk to her. We can ask the nurse when we get there, okay."

He nodded and then fiddled with my radio until he found the music he wanted. I generally liked music I could dance to and didn't care what genre it came in, which gave me a rather eclectic taste. Tommy, on the other hand, clearly liked country music. He was singing along loud and proud to some old Brooks & Dunn song that even I didn't know and I was fifteen years older than him. Tommy was in a good mood by the time we got to the hospital, but his mood faded when we reached Marjorie's room.

He grabbed my hand and squeezed hard at the sight of his mother. The poor kid was probably traumatized beyond belief and it didn't help that there were two detectives in the room asking Sam questions. I cleared my throat to alert them to our presence. Tommy didn't need to hear all the gory details about what happened to his mother. The fact that he was going to be questioned by the police was bad enough. I tried to put myself in Tommy's shoes and I just couldn't do it.

My own parents had split up when I was young. My mother was the jealous type who thought every time my father worked late, he was cheating on her with someone else. They fought about money all the time and the way she took care of Jason and me. Mom had no problem leaving us in front of the TV all day to go off and do what she wanted to do. Never mind that Gran was just a few miles away and would have gladly looked after us if Mom had errands to run.

It wasn't until Jason nearly burned the house down when he decided he wanted to make s'mores on the stovetop that Dad found out what was going on. He knew Mom left us alone sometimes, but he didn't know how often it was. Jason was about six then, which meant I was just under three-years-old. I was barely out of diapers and Jason was…well, Jason was never the smarter of the two of us. He meant well but he wasn't really competent enough to be making executive decisions as a would-be first grader.

Dad was furious and filed for sole custody when he filed for divorce. It was the straw that broke the camel's back, as far as he was concerned, and Mom didn't contend any of his points. She simply said she wasn't cut out for being a mother. She came and went a few times over the course of our childhood, but she never stuck around for long. She wasn't a guiding force in either of our lives and by the time I graduated from high school, I'd pretty much stopped thinking about her at all.

I had Dad, Gran, Jason, Aunt Linda and Sam. Those were the people I counted on when the chips were down. I knew they had my back no matter what and they never disappointed me when I needed them. It made me sad to think that someday, I was going to be a mother myself and _my_ mother wasn't going to be a part of it. She didn't deserve it, but I wanted her to want another chance. I wanted her to want me to forgive her. I knew those were just pipedreams, but I was entitled to have them.

"Miss Stackhouse, can we speak with you outside?" A detective with warm, chocolate skin and big hands asked me.

"Yeah, sure," I let go of Tommy's hand and he ran straight to Sam.

I walked out of the room and toward the nearest waiting area. The room was dimly lit and there was little more than a small sofa and three uncomfortable looking chairs inside. I took a seat on the sofa, figuring the detectives wouldn't want to sit that close to one another.

"Miss Stackhouse, I'm Alcee Beck with the Renard Parish sheriff's office," he extended a hand to me before taking a seat.

"And I'm Dove Beck," the other detective, who looked a lot like Alcee shook my hand as well.

"Are y'all brothers?" I smiled at them and their identical mannerisms.

"Twins," they said in unison and I couldn't stop myself from giggling.

"Must confuse the daylights out of your suspects," I smiled but neither of them smiled back. Alrighty then. "Sorry, detectives, I'm just a little exhausted."

"It's no problem, Miss Stackhouse," Dove nodded courteously.

"Please call me Sookie," I looked from one copy to the other, amazed at the similarities between them even though they weren't identical. It was actually sort of fun to find the differences.

"Sookie, we were just wondering what you know about Marjorie's relationship with Joe. Sam says you've been a close friend of his since you were children," Alcee had a pen poised to write on a small notepad.

"That's true. I met Sam when we were in kindergarten. Since my Dad was single and so was his Mom, they would swap car pooling days and take turns watching us kids when the other needed a night off. I've known Joe for about as long as Sam has. I know there've been a few rough patches in their marriage and that Joe has a temper on him. A couple of times in the last few years Sam's had to go over there in the middle of the night to break up a fight, or take his mom to the emergency room after Joe hit her," I told them.

"So there's a history of domestic violence?"

I nodded and said, "Sam's tried to convince her to leave him a few times but she always says the same thing about Tommy needing a father and having no place else to go. Sam'd sleep in his car if it meant Marjorie had a different bed to sleep in."

Why wasn't I in love with Sam, exactly? He was a good man with a kind and generous heart. He owned his own business and ran it fairly. He was good to his little brother and would drop everything to make sure Tommy was taken care of. Sure Sam had his flaw just like everyone else, but the good outweighed the bad by a long shot. Yet, when I thought about Sam all I saw was my best friend. Don't that beat all?

"Sookie?" Dove's deep timbre brought me back to reality.

"I'm sorry, could you repeat the question?"

"Have you ever witnessed Mr. Mickens assault Mrs. Mickens?" Alcee asked me.

"Uh, no, I can't say as I have. If I had, I would have called my daddy," I said, knowing full well calling Daddy was like calling the National Guard. He would have come in, guns literally blazing, with old Terry Bellefleur and the Colonel at his six.

Just then a code was called on the overhead speaker. A team of nurses and doctors went running past the waiting room with carts and all sorts of supplies. I bolted out of my seat and followed them. I could hear Tommy screaming for his mother to wake up.

"Mommy! Mommy! Wake up!" he screamed while Sam pulled him out of the room. "Let me go! Sam, let me go!"

"I can't, buddy, I'm sorry. We have to let the doctors do their work," Sam held onto Tommy but when he saw me, he got this Herculean boost of strength.

Tommy ran at me and threw his arms around my waist, pressing his face into my side. I rubbed his back and stroked his hair while Sam leaned against the wall with his head tilted back. No one said anything, just listened for the noises going on inside. Tests were ordered, drugs were administered and specialists were consulted. In the end, it was all for nothing.

Marjorie Mickens died that afternoon.

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><p><strong>Hopefully FFN will unfuck itself in the very near future. In the meantime, I'll give teasers since I have so many chapters banked. Thanks for reading!<strong>


	3. The Funeral

**For those who are wondering, YES this is an Eric/Sookie story. I'm just laying the groundwork here. We'll be meeting Eric in the next chapter, I promise.**

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><p><span>Chapter 3: The Funeral<span>

I had never planned a funeral before. I was too young when my Grandad died to have much of a role in it, other than doing a reading which was hard enough on me. Sitting by Sam's side while he had to make all these little choices wasn't easy, but it was much harder on him. Whenever he got overwhelmed, he'd defer to me and then walk away from the table. I couldn't blame him for it; it was a lot to take in.

"Sook, I can't," he shook his head and left the table as I stared down at the little prayer card options.

Sam's family wasn't particularly religious so I opted to go with the cards with praying hands on the front. Picking the prayer for the back was next to impossible, and I was weeping by the time I found the right one.

_You toiled so hard for those_

_you loved._

_You said goodbye to none,_

_Your spirit flew before we knew,_

_Your work on earth was done._

_We miss you now,_

_our hearts are sore,_

_As time goes by we miss you more._

_Your loving smile, your gentle face:_

_No one can fill your vacant place._

_Your life was love and labor._

_Your love for your family true._

_You did the best for all of us._

_We will always remember you._

I took a break after that to find Sam around back behind the funeral home with a flask in his hand. I sighed, held my hand out for him to give it to me and he took a swig before he did. I probably should have just confiscated it but I couldn't help taking a swig myself before capping it and putting it in my purse. I stood beside Sam and kept quiet for a minute.

"I know this is hard, Sam, but I can't do this alone," I grabbed his hand.

"I know; I'm sorry," he apologized.

"Don't be sorry; just say you need a break when you need one. No one will hold it against you for not being a professional at this," I promised him.

"I'm just so…I'm so fucking angry, Sook! This shouldn't be happening. She wasn't even fifty-years-old and she's gone because of Joe. I knew I should have gotten her out of there. I knew she was in trouble and I just…I should have tried harder," Sam's hands balled into fists.

"Sam, this isn't your fault. What happened to your mom _is not your fault_. You did everything you could to help her," I insisted but he dodged my hand when I tried to touch him.

"Sook, I know you're trying to help, but please just stop," Sam backed away from me.

I nodded and said, "I'll go back inside and start looking at flowers. Come in when you're ready."

Sam just turned his back to me and started walking away. I sighed, took a few deep breaths to keep from crying and went back into the funeral home. I looked through the books of arrangements. Sam had already chosen the coffin, which was a light shade of purple; Marjorie's favorite color. Sam came in a little while later, still in a grim mood but at least willing to look at flowers.

I pointed out the arrangements I thought were the best, but wouldn't cost a fortune. In the end he chose a mix of spring flowers and agreed with me that they reminded him of Marjorie. That might sound strange, but she loved flowers, particularly springtime flowers. She would light up when she saw Daffodils, Tulips and Pansies. She had a small garden out back that she spent hours in, raising various species of plants. She wasn't a professional, but it was definitely a hobby.

The next step was for Sam to go see an attorney about having custody of Tommy transferred to him so state officials wouldn't come looking to collect the boy. Sam was young to have a seven-year-old in his care, but he would be inheriting his mother's house so Tommy wouldn't have to make too many adjustments. Sam owning his own business looked good for him as well, especially since it was a successful business. So many restaurants folded in their first year, but that hadn't been the case for Merlotte's.

While Sam was meeting with Sid Matt Lancaster, the lead probate attorney in five parishes, I was at Marjorie's house doing what clean up I could. A professional cleaning company was going to be coming in to do the clean up in the master bedroom where Marjorie had been shot. Carpet was going to have to be replaced, since there were bloody footprints going all through the second floor of the house that belonged to both Tommy and Joe. I refused to go into the master bedroom at all. There were a lot of things I would do for Sam, but I just couldn't go in that room.

I cleaned the kitchen and found the scalding hot water I used to wash the floor felt like it was cleansing my soul as well. I let myself get lost in the monotonous routine of cleaning. I hummed along with the radio as I worked and before long, it wasn't just the kitchen that was clean. I'd cleaned living room dining room and the den as well. I went up to Tommy's room and collected his laundry, once again bypassing the master bedroom. How anyone would ever be able to go in there again, I had no idea.

"Sookie?" Sam called out while I was hanging clothes on the line in the backyard.

"Out here!" I called back.

Sam found me a few minutes later with a stunned look on his face. "You cleaned."

"Yeah, I needed something to do," I shrugged. "I hope you don't mind. I didn't touch anything in her room, I promise."

"It's fine," he nodded.

"When's the last time you ate something, Sam?" I stepped closer to him after I hung the last little pair of jeans.

"I don't know," he shook his head and turned toward the house. "I have so much to do and-"

"You need to eat, Sam," I looped my arm through his and pulled him inside. "Come on, I'll make you something to eat. You need to get some sleep and I'll make sure Tommy's settled in at Gran's."

Gran had agreed to keep Tommy at her place until the cleaning company was able to come out and fix up the house. Sam had already made an appointment with a child psychologist to make sure Tommy was handling everything okay. So far it seemed the stress of the trauma was manifesting itself in the form of nightmares. Gran was prepared for this, having dealt with Aunt Linda having some pretty awful nightmares as a child.

I got Sam to relax on the couch and watch TV while I made him dinner. It wasn't anything fancy, but southern cooking wasn't about fancy; it was about comfort. I made homemade mac 'n cheese, one of my Gran's favorite recipes, and fried up some green tomatoes to go with it. Sam was stretched out on the couch when I called him in for supper and it dawned on me just how domestic a situation it was.

For a minute, I got a flash of what it would be like to be Sam's wife. It was a feeling that gave me pause but I pushed it away. I had more than enough on my emotional plate without getting into all those messy Sam related feelings. We ate quietly together; the silence punctuated occasionally by Sam's groans or the clinking of silverware against porcelain.

"Had enough?" I asked Sam when he finished his third helping.

He leaned back in his chair and patted his relatively flat stomach with both hands. Sam was the kind of guy who pretty much wore jeans, cowboy boots and flannel shirts year round. Since he got a nasty sunburn our freshman year of high school, his mostly maintained a ruddy, reddish color that only got more intense when he got angry or flustered. It was sort of like in cartoons when you see an anger meter, and the red just pushes up and up and up until the top explodes.

"I'm gonna explode," he smiled at me sleepily.

"Don't you dare! I just cleaned this kitchen," I teased him and again, there was that domestic wave slapping me in the face.

Sam got up from the table and helped me clean up the dinner dishes. For just a little while we talked about anything other than his mother's murder, Joe being charged with the crime or what Sam was going to do next. We talked about normal things, like taking trips down to Lake Charles over the summer, or what we were going to do for our birthdays since they were so close together.

Sam yawned as he put away the last plate where it belonged. I hung up my dish towel and leaned against the counter. I smiled at him and he smiled back. It dawned on me just how tired I was. Between the cleaning and the emotional draining, I was dangerously close to running on empty. I needed to go home and recharge my batteries for a while. I loved Sam, but staying overnight at his mother's house just wasn't a possibility for me.

"I'm gonna get going," I stood up straight and rolled my head to release some of the tension in my neck and shoulders.

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea," Sam stretched his arms up over his head and arched his back, pulling his shirt out of the waistband of his jeans.

We'd gone swimming enough in the past for me to know what Sam looked like without a shirt on. I quickly averted my eyes, even though it wasn't more than two inches of skin I was seeing. Still, they were a little too close to the Promise Land for my liking. I turned and walked to the front door with Sam right behind me. I slipped my shoes on and grabbed my purse from the bottom step of the staircase that led up to the second floor.

"If you need anything, just give me a call," I told him in a motherly tone.

"I'll be fine, Sook. Thank you for doing all you've done. I really don't know where I'd be without you right about now," Sam gave me a sincere smile and held his arms out for a hug.

I stepped into them and I'll admit, when his arms closed around me, I felt a certain sense of comfort. I breathed in his familiar scent, which was so much more pleasant than the chemicals still in the air from all the cleaning I'd done. Sam wore a light aftershave but not much else. Usually he just smelled like Irish Spring and his own unique Sam scent. There was a hint of scruff on his face and it scraped my chin when I pulled back from him.

I paused to kiss him on the cheek but I lingered too long. It must have given Sam the impression that I wanted something more because he turned his face and kissed me on the lips. I was so shocked by it, I froze. He was having a hard time already and didn't need me rejecting him. At the same time, letting him think I'd changed my mind about us being more than friends wasn't exactly fair to him either. So when he really went for it and laid what I imagined was his best kiss on me, I had to gently break away.

"Sam, I…" I didn't know what to say.

"I shouldn't have done that. I'm just tired, you know? My brain is full of crazy thoughts. They're all red and tangled up and you're just the only thing that makes sense to me right now," Sam admitted in his flustered, yet crushingly honest way.

What was I supposed to say to that? My heart broke a little at seeing the rejection in his eyes. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Maybe pretending like nothing happened was the ticket.

For the sake of our friendship, I hoped it was.

**o.O.o.O.o**

I bawled all through Sam's eulogy. We'd been on iffy ground with one another for the last three days since that kiss in the entryway of his mother's house. He hadn't mentioned it and neither had I but that didn't mean it wasn't there between us like a great big pink elephant. We just kept on ignoring it, whether it was because we were too uncomfortable to discuss it, or because there were too many other things to worry about just then I wasn't sure.

The cleaning company had come the morning after Sam kissed me to clean up the crime scene upstairs. New carpeting was put in all over the second floor and the master bedroom would be repainted after the funeral was over with. Tommy, while in love with my Gran, was anxious to get home to his own room and his own toys. Apparently mowing the lawn was about as much fun for him as it had once been for Jason.

I was at Sam's side for the better part of the day when I wasn't wrangling Tommy or making sure the refreshments were stocked. The constant waves of domesticity made it really hard to avoid the fact that Sam kissed me. Even worse, it made it harder for me to reconcile that the love I felt for Sam wasn't the passionate kind. He was comfortable, like an old sweater or a bowl of chicken and dumplings. Those were both awful analogies I would never use out loud, but that was the way I saw Sam.

The kiss, even the more passionate one, had proven to me I just didn't feel that spark. Sam felt it, no doubt about that, but I just didn't feel the same. But he was my best friend and he needed me, so I put my big girl panties on and did the right thing. I made sure my friend and his little brother were taken care of because I loved them both and that outweighed any awkwardness I was feeling.

By the time the house cleared out when the funeral was over with, it was just before seven o'clock. Tommy's regular bedtime was eight, and Sam insisted Tommy start getting ready for bed. Now came the hard part; the part where Sam had to be a dad and not just a buddy. I expected Tommy would rebel a little since he was a rather willful child (something I could relate to) and had a problem with male authority figures on account of his relationship with Joe.

But that night Tommy did as Sam asked. "Goodnight, Sookie. Are you staying over?"

"No, Tommy, I'm going home in a little bit, but I'll see you really soon," I promised him.

"Okay," he threw his arms around my neck and gave me a hug. "My mom really loved you," he told me out of nowhere, which made my eyes gloss over with fresh tears I didn't think I had.

"Thanks, Tommy. I loved her too," I kissed his head and then sent him scampering up the steps to get started on his bedtime routine. "He's a good kid, Sam."

"Yeah, he is," Sam agreed and sat in one of the arm chairs in the corner. "Joe's arraignment is tomorrow."

"Are you going?" I asked.

"He's not going to get out, according to the ADA I spoke with, but yeah, I'm going," Sam rubbed his hands up and down his face.

"You should get some sleep," I started to get up off the couch. "If you want to just leave this stuff I'll come by tomorrow and help you clean up."

"Nah, it's alright. You should take tomorrow off. Not just from the restaurant, but from me. I think maybe we need a little time apart," Sam said and then stood up.

"What?" Did I hear him right?

"Look, Sookie, we can have this big conversation about it or I can just lay it all out in once sentence. I'm in love with you and you don't feel the same way. It's nothing new. I just…I don't know if I can deal with it anymore," Sam sighed and headed for the kitchen.

"So what? Now we can't even be friends?" I followed him.

"Do you have any idea how hard this is for me? It's hard enough now but one of these days you're going to meet someone you're crazy about, and he's going to feel the same way about you and I want you to be happy but I don't know if I can watch it, Sookie. These last few days I've just felt…I felt right being with you all the time. We felt like a family, you know? And the way you'd smile at me from the other side of the room but knowing it didn't mean the same to you as it did to me…" he trailed off, his voice frustrated and near breaking.

"Sam, I wish I could feel the way you do. You're such a good man and I am so, so sorry that you're hurting right now-" I apologized.

"That's why you have to go, Sook. Spend an extra day down at Amelia's summer house and just relax for a while. It's the least I can do after all you've done for me and Tommy. I appreciate it all, I just can't be around you right now," Sam said and then went across the hall to the bathroom and locked himself inside.

I stood there slightly shocked by what Sam was suggesting. He didn't say anything about us not being friends anymore, exactly, but wasn't that how it started? One minute you're just taking some space from one another and the next you're shopping for replacement friends. I grabbed my purse from the coat rack where I'd hung it when I first arrived earlier in the day. I called a goodbye up the stairs to Tommy and then left.

I made it all the way home before I burst into tears of my own. I went upstairs to my bathroom and started the tub. A hot bath sounded good, even though the air was plenty warm already. I stripped off my black funeral attire and hung my dress up to take it to the cleaners the next day. I called Amelia but had to leave a message.

"Hey Ames, it's Sookie. Listen, I was talking to Sam tonight and he gave me an extra day off, so if you think you want some company I can come down tomorrow instead. Give me a call and let me know but not before ten in the morning, okay? I really, really need to sleep in. I love you," I said and then hung up.

A few minutes later I sank into the lavender scented water and closed my eyes. I put a damp, warm washcloth over my eyes and just let myself float. I let my mind go completely blank, which is easier said than done with everything I had to think about. For a while, I just wanted darkness and quiet. I got so relaxed I nearly fell asleep but I forced myself out of the tub before that happened. I brushed my teeth, put on my pajamas and turned off the ringer on my phone before climbing into bed.

I snuggled into one of my pillows, closed my eyes and let the world drift away. At least for a few hours, nothing would go wrong.

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><p><strong>Next up we get Pam, Amelia and Eric. I'll do teasers again. I really wish this site would unfuck itself *kicks it* Thanks for reading!<strong>


	4. Beautiful Stranger

**There was so much confusion about getting alerts starting with chapter three *face palm* Not that there's anything I can personally do about it since it's FFN fucker, but sorry about that. Thankfully, alerts seem to be going out again, so for those who are just now joining us, welcome to the party! You picked the right day since we finally get Eric! Woot!**

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><p><span>Chapter 4: Beautiful Stranger<span>

The drive to Amelia's summer house was spent singing along to whatever was on the Top 40 station and dancing as best I could behind the wheel of my car. I stopped for gas and a quick snack at the half way point. I hadn't been to Amelia's summer house since the summer after graduating from high school. Amelia had skipped college, instead favoring what she called a 'soul odyssey.' Basically that meant she'd spent the better part of the last four years moving around Europe, sampling the many cultures (by that I mean sexual practices) the world had to offer.

I always looked forward to her postcards she sent. There was something so old world about them and they always hinted to a particularly good story, or fling, that had stuck with her. They would come out of order, however, so one day I would get one telling me she was off to Paris when I had just received a note from there two days prior. It was bizarre how it worked, but I smiled all the same whenever they arrived.

Amelia and I were very different people in a lot of ways. The one thing we had in common is that we were both primarily raised by our fathers after our mothers took off to pursue more selfish lives. All Amelia had in the world, however, was her father. She had no extended family to speak of since both of her parents were only children. She'd never met her maternal grandparents. Her paternal grandfather had died before she was born and her grandmother died when Amelia was nine.

I'd met her the one summer I had insisted I wanted to go to sleep away camp. I'd seen it in a movie and it looked like tons of fun so I begged and begged my Dad to send me to a camp. It just so happened Amelia was spending the summer at the same camp. We were assigned into the same bunk and equally disliked our counselor who was in her late teens and seemed to think her shit didn't stink. Being that I was ten, it was the early nineties and the girl was freaking out over Nirvana. I had no idea what that was but quickly learned it was music.

My own tastes went more the way of Madonna, Janet Jackson, Paula Abdul (before you judge, she wasn't crazy back then), Boys II Men, Mariah Carey and the like. Where I couldn't sing, Amelia couldn't dance and we made one heck of a team for the camp talent show at the end of the summer. We'd made friends with another girl named Tara who shared my same talent for dancing. The three of us remained friends after camp ended, although I wasn't able to go back the next summer like I wanted to.

Instead, I got to spend a week at Amelia's summer house which was way better than camp. We didn't have anyone telling us when to get up or go to bed. We were in and out of the lake all day long and stayed up late around a fire in the outdoor fireplace on her back porch. We told each other secrets and decided that summer we would be the sister to each other that the other didn't have.

During the school year we exchanged letters. I still had them all saved in a box somewhere and would read through them once in a while. One time Amelia sent me a very detailed letter, for a twelve-year-old, describing exactly what it would look like when she became Mrs. Mark Paul Gosselaar. Amelia definitely hit the boy crazy stage of adolescence much faster than I did. I guess it balanced out since I got boobs first.

Our letters evolved from childish things about the bummers of being a child with essentially no control over our own lives, to writing our dreams down. Our letters became blueprints for our futures. Amelia mostly wrote of the men she would date, the houses she would live in, the clothes she would wear, the places she would travel and how maybe someday she would stumble onto a cure for cancer or AIDS. She had some lofty goals, that Amelia.

I, on the other hand, was a bit more realistic and not nearly as convinced of what my future was going to look like. For a while I wanted to be a marine biologist, then a ballet dancer, then a chef, then a stay at home mom or maybe a criminal profiler…the list went on and on. Every letter I seemed to change my mind about what I wanted. I never really wrote about a husband, even though I knew I wanted to be a mother. I started to think maybe my father had done too well as a single parent.

I knew it was entirely possible for just one parent to raise a child but I also knew it was better when there were two. It wasn't until I was in college and studying child psychology that I realized my parents' divorce had affected me more than I ever gave much thought to in the past. At first, I'd blamed myself for the demise of their marriage, thinking if Jason and I had been better kids, Mom wouldn't have left us. Dad constantly reassured me that wasn't true, but that didn't go very far in convincing me it wasn't true. I simply learned to stop talking about it; to stop talking about Mom all together.

Talking about the divorce was painful for Dad. There was guilt written all over him every time something happened in our lives that Mom should have been there for. I could see this regretful pain in his eyes. He flat out told me once that he wished he'd done a better job at choosing a mother for Jason and me, but all that did was make me feel worse. Of course there were times when I knew what I was missing. I'd see other girls out shopping with their mothers or going out together to get their nails done, and I would wonder if my own mother ever felt like she was missing out by not getting to do those things with me.

I would never understand how my mother could have left us the way she did but the older I got, the less I needed to hear her at least try and explain it to me. Years of abandonment couldn't possibly be explained away. I reconciled with myself that she probably loved me in her own way and merely thought I would be better off without her. I told myself she'd made her sacrifice out of love because that was the only way I could go through life without hating her.

By the time I reached Amelia's summer house I was in a much better mood. I'd thought about everything I possibly could to keep Sam out of my head. I was still angry at him for pushing me away like he did, even if there was a part of me that understood his rationale. I'd been on the rejection end of a crush before but never with a friend. I imagined it was a whole different kind of hurt when it was someone you were used to seeing everyday.

I smiled at the sight of Amelia's VW convertible parked under the large carport off to the side of the house. There was actually a four car garage a little further behind the house but it was mostly used for ATVs, lawn equipment and boat storage. I tried to figure out who owned the midnight blue Audi SUV/minivan that was parked next to Amelia's car, since I knew it wasn't Amelia's. Amelia despised minivans and she wasn't a much bigger fan of SUVs. She thought they were gas guzzlers ruining our environment one fill up at a time.

It was slightly comical to hear her rip on the effect of fossil fuels in the world considering how many planes she'd flown on in the last five years. All the same, I pulled up behind her VW so I wouldn't block in whoever else was at the house. I wasn't even out of the car yet when Amelia came bounding out the kitchen door with a grin on her face and an extra spring in her step. She pulled the car door open and bounced excitedly while waiting for me to get up so she could hug me.

"I'm so glad you're here!" she continued to bounce while hugging me.

"Me too, Ames, me too," I wasn't quite as excited as she was, but then that was usually the case.

"How was the trip? Are you hungry? Do you need help with your bags? You didn't get lost, did you? Have you talked to Sam? How's he doing?" Amelia was her usual hurricane of questions, wanting to know everything all at once. Honestly, it was like having a hyper Chihuahua as a friend sometimes.

"Calm down, Ames," I smiled at her while reaching into the trunk of the Nova to grab my bags.

"Sorry, I know I get all wound up. I'm just so happy to see you! It's been way too long," she wrapped an arm around my waist.

"I'll tell you everything, but first, whose car is that?" I nodded toward the Audi.

"Oh, that's Pam's," Amelia said in that tone of hers like she had a naughty secret to tell. That meant she was involved with Pam in a more than friendly way.

My eyebrows raised and Amelia just grinned. "Pam, huh?"

She nodded and said, "Oh, yes. Paaaaaam…" she drew out the name as if I wouldn't recognize it any other way.

"I guess you learned a lot about yourself in Europe, huh?" I nudged her with my hip.

"Honey, I learned things that'd make a girl like you blush until you were ninety. But I'll save all that for later. Right now, you've got some spilling of the guts to do," Amelia and I walked into the house together.

Amelia's summer house was insanely big. Most people had a little place in the country or a cabin in the woods. Not Amelia. No, Amelia's summer house was nicer than the houses that most people lived in year round. Her father, Copely Carmichael was a hot shot in the southern Louisiana business world. He seemed to have his fingers in a little bit of everything, so I wasn't exactly sure what he did. The only thing I knew for sure was that whatever it was; it made him a very rich man.

Amelia led me to the room I always stayed in whenever I stayed at her summer house. My jaw dropped to see the upgrades that had been made since the last time I was there. There was a new bed, new carpet and a flat screen TV was mounted on the wall. French doors led out to the upper level porch that wrapped around the house. The place kind of reminded me of Mama's house in Forrest Gump, come to think of it.

"Looks like Copely's been entertaining a lot, huh?" I smiled over my shoulder at Amelia.

"Nah, I was bored so I told him I was going to redo the house. He wire me a bunch of money and voila!" she gestured around her.

"You did all this?" I was impressed, to say the least.

"I didn't just study human sexuality while I was in Europe, Sook. You know one day, when I get bored, I'm going find me a nice, stable guy and get married. I'm going to have to be able to decorate our home to perfection and I consider this practice," Amelia sat at the end of the canopy bed.

That Amelia sure had a different way of looking at life than I did. She chattered while I got settled, telling me about how she'd met Pam on a topless beach in Pampelonne, just outside of Saint-Tropez. I learned that Pam was a personal stylist born to a fashion model mother and a billionaire financial whiz father. She had an older half brother as a result of her father's first marriage but behaved like she was an only child. I could only imagine what the arguments sounded like when both Pam and Amelia were expecting to get their way at the same time.

"So where is Pam?" I asked once I was unpacked and leaning in the doorway between the bedroom and attached bathroom.

"She's down on the floater sunning herself," Amelia smirked.

Curiosity got the better of me and I went across the room to look out at the lake. The floater was basically a giant floating dock located about thirty feet from the shoreline. Amelia and I had spent countless hours on that thing as kids, either lost in our own imaginary world or simply laying in the sun. The older we got, the less we imagined things and the more we pontificated over future events.

"Ohmygod," it all came out as one word when my eyes zeroed in on Pam and realized she was topless. "Amelia, she's naked!"

"Topless," Amelia corrected.

"There isn't a whole heck of a lot of difference," I glared at her over my shoulder.

"Oh lighten up, will you? It's not like you've never seen breasts before," Amelia shrugged.

While I didn't consider myself to have a puritanical perception of sex, I certainly wasn't as bohemian about it as Amelia was. She sort of mocked me for having such a romantic ideal when it came to sex. I wasn't waiting for marriage, or anything close to it, but I wasn't a Sleep-Around-Sue either. In my almost twenty-three years I'd had two partners. The first was a big mistake I didn't even like thinking about.

He was a jerk who led me to believe he really loved me when all he wanted was to get in my pants. After a football game he talked me into the bushes, had his way with me and never spoke to me again. I didn't tell a soul, except Amelia, about it. If I had told Jason he would have gone after Quinn and let him have it, along with pretty much the entire offensive line. To me, Quinn simply wasn't worth the effort. Maybe if the sex had been good, it'd be another story, but it was awful.

Then in college, I'd dated a guy named Bill for a while. He'd moved into his great Uncle's house across the cemetery from Gran's place to help take care of the old man. Jesse Compton was about as crusty as they get and wasn't willing to go into a nursing home, even though he wasn't really capable of taking care of himself anymore. Bill had been raised in Jackson and attended Ole Miss. He graduated at the top of his class with a degree in computer science. While he cared for Jesse, he created several computer programs he hoped to shop around to the highest bidder.

After Jesse died, Bill was offered a job up in Seattle. He loved me but he knew I wasn't going to give up my schooling or my life in Bon Temps, so we broke up and he took the job. There were times when I wondered what might have been if I had gone with him, but mostly I was happy with where I was. I didn't mind being a single lady. I got to do what I wanted, when I wanted and I didn't have to check in with someone all the time or consult them first before making plans.

Not to mention, Bill and Sam didn't particularly get along. I always sensed a tension between them that stemmed from jealousy. I never told Bill about Sam's crush on me, but I suspect he picked up on it anyway. I tried to explain away Sam's protectiveness as if it was that of a brother figure, but Bill never bought it. Hell, my own brother was nicer to Bill than Sam was. The whole situation was a lot of extra stress for me and it strained my relationship with each man.

Sam, at least, had the decency not to gloat to my face when Bill left town. I didn't really cry on his shoulder like I wanted to since it was too awkward a situation for that. I knew Sam felt bad because I felt bad, but I also knew there was a part of him that was happy Bill was gone. There was certainly no love lost between them. As I got over Bill, my relationship with Sam repaired itself as well.

"So who else is going to be here this weekend?" I asked Amelia, bracing myself for what was sure to be one hell of a guest list.

Amelia never did anything on a small scale. For her sixteenth birthday party she had this huge princess themed party (surprising, right?) and she wanted to hand out real diamond tiaras as favors. When she told me that, I couldn't help laughing. It was one of the silliest things I'd ever heard in my whole life and knew before she even finished explaining why it was a brilliant idea that even Copely was going to put his foot down. She didn't get her way that time, but it was one of the few when she didn't.

She gave me a list of names that I mostly didn't recognize, with the exception of Sophie-Anne LeClerq and Andre Paul. They were childhood friends of Amelia's that I had mixed feelings about. Sophie-Anne came from a wealthy family that owned several antebellum mansions all over the south; three of them were in New Orleans alone. Sophie-Anne was spoiled and a little immature, from what I could remember, but she was also sophisticated and open-minded. Andre, on the other hand, was nothing but a creeper and a leach. Why either Amelia or Sophie-Anne tolerated him, I had no idea. What I did know was that every time Andre got close to me, I felt my skin crawl and my insides seize up.

"Shoot! I forgot to get the stuff for s'mores!" Amelia stomped her foot and pouted all at once.

"I passed a grocery store on my way in. I can run out and get the stuff for you, if you want," I made the offer knowing full well Amelia was going to have a huge list of things she wanted me to pick up by the time I finally got out the door.

"You wouldn't mind?" she asked in complete surprise even thought she knew better. "You're just a doll, you know that? Here, I'll write up a list," she offered and scampered out to go get her paper.

I rolled my eyes after she was gone but made no complaints. Instead I followed Amelia out of the room and hoped there was space enough in my car for everything she wanted me to pick up.

**o.O.o.O.o**

The list actually wasn't as long as I thought it would be, although why she wrote the individual ingredients for s'mores I knew she wouldn't even eat was beyond me. All the same, I made my way through the grocery store, debating over and picking up the things she asked me to get. The store wasn't terribly busy but then it was three in the afternoon on a Thursday. I knew it would be an entirely different story if it were a Friday.

Once I had everything on the list I headed for the checkout lines. Just like at home, there were only two regular check lanes open but the do-it-yourself lanes were all functioning. I wasn't paying much attention to the other patrons of the store, outside of making sure I didn't hit any of them with my cart. I got in line behind a woman at one of the conveyor belt lanes and scanned the magazines at the racks on either side of me.

Did anyone really care about Hollywood cheating scandals, or whether or not Brad and Angie were going to adopt yet again? I rolled my eyes and mentally shook myself to clear the irritation tabloids always raised in me. I looked to my left to see a tall blond man dressed in jeans, a t-shirt and a baseball cap holding a quart of yogurt and a bunch of bananas. He stood to the center between the two sides of the smaller checkout stations, waiting for whichever of the four of them would become available first.

There was just a hint of scruff on his jaw and his arms were just barely tanned. The season was still early and I found myself wondering if that was just farmer's tan, or if he was tan all over. I blushed slightly at my wondering and then forced myself to look away. When I looked over in his direction again, he was looking back at me. I smiled and looked away when the woman in front of me finished paying for her purchases. I was just about to push my cart forward when an older man carrying a case of beer basically cut the blond man off and got directly in line behind another man who was just swiping his credit card through.

My eyes drifted to those of the blond man, who gave me a 'is this guy kidding?' look while smirking and shaking his head in disbelief. I giggled quietly and shrugged. I thought about telling Baseball Cap to go ahead of me, but then another checkout station became available. I moved up and started scanning my items.

Ten minutes later I was unloading my bags into the trunk of my car when someone called out, "Excuse me, Miss?"

I turned to see it was Baseball Cap and smiled up at him. My aviator sunglasses were resting on the bridge of my nose but I pushed them up onto the top of my head. I knew from what I'd seen inside he was handsome, but he looked even better out in the sunlight. His eyes were a deep shade of blue that reminded me of the ocean at night. His arms were toned but not body builder big, which would have thoroughly grossed me out. His lips were full and just a little on the pouty side and his neck…well, I wondered what he would do if I licked it.

"Hi," I said through my smile.

"I don't suppose you're from around here?" he looked hopeful.

"Uh, not exactly, but what do you need?" I said as I grabbed for another bag.

"I'm looking for 2874 Bertram and for some reason my GPS can't seem to pick it up," he explained without realizing that was Amelia's address.

I grinned at that and said, "Bertram isn't really the name of the street you're looking for."

"It isn't? Well that's…weird," he looked confused.

"It's actually Route 17 but it's called Bertram because of the guy who used to own most of the property that way," I explained to him.

"Oh," he still looked lost which made me laugh again.

"I'm actually headed in the same direction if you want to follow me?" I suggested.

"Sure, I could do that," he nodded.

"Alright," I put the last bag into the trunk but before I could take the cart back to the little corral, Baseball Cap was already walking away with it.

As he was walking away I noticed a tattoo on the back of his neck that was a series of hash marks that totaled the number seven. I wondered what that meant but figured I had no right to ask. I didn't have any tattoos myself, but I knew most of them came with a story. I didn't even know his name so I doubted he would tell me what the tattoo meant.

I watched him walk over to a shiny new red Corvette and slink down behind the wheel. I got into the front seat of the Nova and started my engine. The car rattled and purred in its familiar and powerful way. I knew the Nova could go fast but I doubted it would beat a Corvette in a street race without a boost of nitrous. Not that I was into speed racing, or anything.

I pulled out of my parking space and waited for Baseball Cap to do the same before starting out of the lot. He stayed right behind me the whole way, not driving too close but not letting anyone come between us either. Although, losing a sunshine yellow Nova would have been difficult for him to do. I didn't see many cars like mine on the road. I made sure to use my turn signals so I wouldn't lose him.

I grinned at the expression of confusion on his face when I pulled through the open gate of Amelia's driveway that was clearly numbered 2874. I drove up to the house and parked behind Amelia's VW, while Baseball Cap pulled up beside me, blocking in Pam's Audi. I turned off my car and rolled up my window most of the way, leaving it cracked just two inches, before getting out of the car.

"You live here?" Baseball Cap asked as he stood up and braced his forearms on the roof of the Corvette.

"Nope, but I'm friends with the owner's daughter," I smiled at him and laugh when he shook his head. "I'm Sookie Stackhouse," I reached up over the roof the car and shook Baseball Cap's hand.

"Eric Northman," he said as his hand met mine and a chill shot through me.

_This is about to get interesting_, I told myself when I realized I didn't want to let go of his hand.

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><p><strong>Okay, so y'all are going to think I'm a bit of a nutter, BUT the situation I described in the grocery store really happened to me last week (minus the Eric Northman part &amp; the directions after) but it got me thinking and yeeeeah...that's pretty much the seed that started this entire story. Crazy, right? My brain works in mysterious ways. Just ask scribeninja, Slacker Dee and kjwrit. It's also working in porny ways right now, so expect to see a PWP os get posted in the near future. My brain is stuck in lemon mode, which is awesome for this particular story since I'll be starting the writing on chapter 20 in just a few minutes. Sorry to anyone who didn't get a teaser, but I figured I'd just post a new chapter. Teasers WILL go out this afternoon for new reviews and there WILL be a new chapter tomorrow. Thanks for reading!**


	5. Drop it Like it's Hot

**Disclaimer of a different kind: **_I have no control over whether or not Eric & Sookie in **kjwrit's** "All In" get it on._ Believe me, if I did, they would. But the PMs asking me to talk to **kjwrit** about it crack me the hell up, and she gets a good laugh over them, too. I am not at liberty to discuss where HER story is headed, but I think y'all will be happy. Enjoy the slow burn, yo! And at least the story is rather hilarious in the meantime. Alright, I'm don't yammering.

On with our regularly scheduled programming...

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><p><span>Chapter 5: Drop it Like it's Hot<span>

Eric helped me bring in the groceries, even though I insisted I could do it myself. He scored points for opening doors and trying to take my bags from me. Manners counted for a lot with me and it was nice to see him making an effort when most boys wouldn't be bothered. Amelia and Pam were in the kitchen yakking away about one thing or another when we came in and it was clearly a surprise to them both that Eric and I were walking in together.

"Well, well, don't you two look cozy?" Pam smirked and reached around her back, I hope, to make sure her bikini top was nice and tightly tied.

"We spotted each other at the grocery store," I explained.

"Yeah, some asshole cut me off in line and then Sookie gave me directions since Bertram isn't a real street," Eric glared at Pam, who just shrugged.

"At least you'll have a cute story to tell your grandkids someday?" Pam snorted and reached into the refrigerator for a bottle of water.

"Sorry about that, Eric. I forget all the time that people who aren't familiar with the area wouldn't know it's really Route 17," Amelia apologized. "But I'm glad you made it."

Pam supervised while Amelia and I put away the groceries. I had to wonder why Eric had stopped for yogurt and bananas if he was planning on being at Amelia's, but I didn't ask. Amelia left me in the kitchen with Pam while she showed Eric to one of the many guest bedrooms upstairs. Pam looked me up and down with a curious expression on her face.

"You've known Amelia for quite some time now," Pam said with narrowed eyes.

"Yes, I have," I nodded, not entirely sure where Pam was going.

"You know her well, yes?"

I nodded again and said, "We've been like sisters since we were kids."

"No sisters of your own, I take it?"

"Uh, no, I only have a brother."

"Ah, we have something in common," Pam's face lit up for just a second before she schooled it back to looking like she had been trained on interrogation during the Spanish Inquisition. Hell, the way her eyes got icy, I wondered if maybe _she_ couldn't have taught them a few things. "Are you married?"

I nearly choked on my water before raising my left hand. "No, I'm about as single as they get."

"Good," Pam said and then stood up.

That was it? It must have been since she sauntered out of the room like she thought she was Elizabeth Taylor. I stood there completely unsure of what to think, yet feeling almost like I'd just been broadsided by a runaway train. _What the hell was that?_, I asked myself more than once without ever finding an answer.

I shook it off and went back outside to take a walk around the property. A rowboat was docked at the pier and there were two hammocks hanging and ready for someone to take refuge in. I remembered falling asleep in one of them as a teenager. I'd go out there to read and before I knew it, the breeze would sway me to sleep. I briefly contemplated hanging one in my own backyard since I spent so much time out there in the summer. It wouldn't be good for my though, and I liked being the same color all over. Well, _almost_ all over. I wasn't brave enough to sunbathe nude.

The next night Amelia was planning a crawfish boil in a huge cast iron kettle in the backyard and a pit had been dug out for the fire. No doubt there would be some company coming by in the morning to set up rental tables and chairs. I noticed a box on the back porch with a picture of a netted tent that needed to be built and I could only assume she planned on having Eric do it since Amelia operating tools of any kind was a death wish to anyone within a ten mile radius.

The breeze kicked up, ballooning my top out in front of me and I pushed it back down where it belonged. I started thinking about Sam and how he could simultaneously feel like he was the center of my world and a third wheel all at once. I walked to the end of the pier, kicked off my flip-flops and had a seat. I dipped my toes into the water and smiled when I discovered it had a chill to it but it wasn't unbearably cold.

Heavy footsteps fell on the wooden planks behind me a while later and I looked over my shoulder to see Eric approaching. He'd exchanged his baseball cap for a pair of sunglasses similar to my own, only the lenses were black instead of brown. He kicked off the sandals he was wearing and sat down next to me.

"This seat wasn't taken, I hope?" he asked while rolling up the legs of his jeans.

"Nope," I looked over and noticed a scar on his left calf. It was small and round and looked like, at some point in his life, he'd endured some serious pain because of it.

I looked a little more closely at him and realized he had a few scars that looked like they had once been painful. There was one above his eyebrow where hair didn't grow in. There was another on his left arm just above his elbow. There was one more at his temple; a small circle I suspected was from a case of the chicken pox as a child. The only scar I had was from when my appendix was taken out at the age of eleven.

"You've got a lot of scars," I observed out loud.

Eric nodded and said, "I can't seem to keep myself out of trouble."

"Uh oh," I laughed quietly, hoping he was just toying with me. "What kind of trouble?"

Eric paused and tensed for a moment before saying, "The kind that leaves scars."

Oh. Well then.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to pry," I apologized.

"No need to apologize; I just don't like talking about it," Eric said in a harried tone that I took as a clear indication to just drop it.

"So, um, how long have you known Amelia?" I asked since she seemed to be the only thing we had in common aside from blonde hair and blue eyes, but that didn't make for very fascinating conversation.

"I met her a few months ago when she was in Stockholm. She hooked up with Pam who was staying with me," Eric explained.

"You live in Sweden?" I arched an eyebrow.

"No," he said in a definitive way but offered no further explanation. "Amelia and I aren't very close. She invited me for Pam."

"And how do you know Pam?"

"She's my half sister," Eric informed me. "We have the same father."

I nodded along and said, "I can see a slight resemblance between you."

"We have the same hair but that's about it. Pam mostly looks like her mother," Eric told me.

"I see," I nodded some more and leaned back to brace my palms on the warm, worn wood behind me. "So if you don't live in Sweden, where _do_ you live?"

"Shreveport," he said quietly and put his feet in the water. I never would have guessed by his accent.

"Have you spent a lot of time in Stockholm?" I figured he had to based on the slightly foreign lilt to his voice.

"Enough," he shrugged.

"Am I asking too many questions?" I tilted my head toward his. "I'm sorry if I am, I'm just curious."

"No, it's okay. I'm just not used to anyone asking about me," he confessed with an uneasy expression.

I found that hard to believe. From where I was sitting he looked like the kind of guy who was constantly beating girls off with a stick, trying to get a few minutes to himself. Then again, there was something closed off about him; something that screamed 'stay away.' I, of course, completely ignored it and kept right on talking.

I learned he was seven years older than me and had spent most of his life in European boarding schools since neither of his parents were really all that good at being parents. He owned co-owned a business in Sweden which was why he spent so much time there, but mostly he was in Shreveport. He liked the quiet anonymity of it which made me wonder what he needed anonymity from.

While he was certainly good looking enough to be famous, I didn't recognize his face from anywhere and I was pretty sure I would remember a face like his. I didn't follow Hollywood too closely since there was generally very little worth following and I didn't get into the gossip the way a lot of women did, but I paid attention to the things that were worth it. I had no doubt, whatsoever, that Eric Northman was someone I'd be willing to give a lot of my attention to.

"So Amelia tells me you've known each other for a long time," Eric looked out at the water ahead of us.

"Yep, we've been friends since we were kids," I nodded and then tilted my face skyward.

"What kind of people can I expect to see here tomorrow?" he asked, which I thought was a slightly strange question.

"I don't really know how to answer that," I told him.

"I mean are they uptight society types or more bohemian or…" he trailed off.

"Um, well, I honestly don't know most of the people she invited. I know Sophie-Anne LeClerq and Andre Paul since they live near Amelia in New Orleans, but other than that, your guess is as good as mine. Sophie-Anne is a lot like Amelia and Andre…well, he's mostly a creep."

"A creep?" Eric laughed.

"He gives me the heebie jeebies," I sat up straight. "I try my best to never be left alone in a room with him. I don't like the way he looks at me."

"And how's that?" Eric asked.

"Like a serial killer in need of a fresh kill?"

"That's creepy," Eric agreed. "What's he look like?"

"He's about the same age as me. He's got platinum blond hair, crazy eyes and a baby face. To most people he probably looks harmless but there's something about him that just rubs me the wrong way."

"I can say, from personal experience, it's rarely wise to ignore your gut when it comes to dealing with other people," Eric told me.

"And what does your gut say about me?" I asked him.

He pulled his feet out of the water and stared at them while he said, "You're someone I should keep an eye on."

"What does that mean?" I asked with amusement. Eric just winked at me and stood up. "Where are you going? You can't just say something like that and walk away."

"I'll be seeing you, Sookie," Eric just smiled and then walked away from me, leaving me to wonder what the hell he was talking about.

**o.O.o.O.o**

I sat at the edge of the bed and tied my sneakers. It was getting just a little chilly outside and I knew before too long it was going to turn cold. I found my sweatshirt and took that with me when I went back outside. Amelia had started a fire in the outdoor fireplace. Pam was curled up and looking rather bored, or maybe that was just her default expression. Her face rarely changed, whether it was because she was robotic or due to too much Botox, I wasn't sure.

I was surprised to see Eric sitting there with an acoustic guitar. He didn't have it with him when I went into the house just a few minutes before. Since the earlier afternoon a few more people had shown up at the house. Thankfully, Sophie-Anne and Andre weren't scheduled to arrive until the following day. A ditzy blonde girl by the name of Ginger had become enamored with Eric the minute she laid eyes on him and she'd searched for one reason or another to be close to him or touching him. The fact that Eric was clearly sending signals that he wasn't interested seemed to be lost on her.

There was a part of me that wanted to go over there and rescue him but I figured he was capable of handling himself. Besides, it wasn't really my place to step in like that without a clear signal from Eric that he wanted me to. So I grabbed a fresh bottle of beer from the cooler and reclaimed my seat a few chairs over from where Eric was sitting. Ginger was giggling and asking questions I couldn't hear but that didn't stop me from wanting to reach over and smack her.

If I was completely honest with myself there was something rather amusing about seeing a man of Eric's size looking so completely uncomfortable. He had to be at least a foot taller than Ginger and he outweighed her by probably somewhere around eighty pounds. If he wanted to he could probably dropkick her all the way to Arkansas. In fact, that might have been the one thing that could get Pam to smile.

"Time to wake the dead!" a vaguely familiar voice called out from behind me and I turned to see a very good looking man with dark hair and shiny hazel eyes standing on the porch.

Amelia squealed, jumped up and ran to greet the unexpected guest. His face looked familiar to me but I couldn't place where I had seen him before. I stared until Ginger's rail thin frame came into view. I looked away then to see Eric looking relieved to be free of his new groupie. I decided to take a chance and slide down a few chairs to be closer to Eric.

"Looks like you may have lost one," I smiled at him.

"If there's a God," he smirked and started picking at the guitar.

"Do you actually play or are you just going to tune that thing within an inch of its life?" I rested my chin on my hand with my elbow braced on my knee.

"I play," he said and started to play the opening bars of a song I knew all too well, thanks to my father. "Know this one?"

I nodded excitedly and said, "I do, as a matter of fact, but you do _not_ want me to sing."

"You can't be that bad," Eric smiled at me and kept on playing.

"Yes I can and I am. Trust me, if I start singing all dogs in a fifty mile radius will start howling," I laughed and watched his fingers skillfully pluck and press the strings to get the sounds he wanted. "What else can you play?"

"Pick a song," he said.

"Seriously?" I asked and he nodded.

"I have the ability to hear something once and be able to play it on guitar. I can do it with piano, too," he said like it was no big deal.

"Get out of here!" I was seriously impressed by that.

"It's true. Come on, give me a song," he insisted.

My mind went completely blank but the urgent look on his face told me I better pick something, so I said the first thing that came to mind, "Um okay, uh…oh! Okay, um _Drop it Like its Hot_."

Eric let out a big belly laugh that echoed nicely in my ears. I'd heard him laugh quietly earlier but I much preferred this big laugh that seemed to come all the way from his toes. When he stopped laughing a look of concentration settled on his face. He played a few notes and then he was playing Snoop Dogg on acoustic guitar. I couldn't believe it.

"I need some accompaniment here, Sookie," Eric smirked at me.

"Uh, no, that's okay. If I can't sing, I definitely can't rap," I laughed.

"You're going to sing by the end of the weekend," Eric predicted.

"You think so?" I asked him and sipped my beer.

"There's something you should know about me," Eric leaned over, still playing the song.

"What's that?' my eyes met his and I felt the craziest chill run through me. His eyes were damn near electric sometimes, I swear it.

"I have a way of getting what I want," he stared at my lips and for a minute I thought he might kiss me. Or maybe I was just hoping he would.

But then he pulled back, finished the song and started playing a Tracy Chapman song instead. I didn't sing loud, but I did mumble the words as he played. I had a feeling Eric was going to get what he wanted, and then some, before the weekend was over.

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><p><strong>This chapter is a little on the shorter side but the next one is a little longer (if I remember right) so it balances out. Anyway...a tattooed, guitar playing Eric? WHERE CAN I GET MINE? Guh! I swear it's not a bad boy thing it's just...it's...YUM. I'll do teasers again. Hopefully FFN has unfucked itself for more than 5 minutes. Thanks for reading!<strong>


	6. Come Sail Away

**Sooo this chapter is about twice the length of yesterday's chapter lol. I was sitting here writing and I'm thinking, "Okay, guys, anytime you wanna wrap it up here would be good *types another 2,000 words*" Seriously...I don't know what to do with these muses sometimes. Although I will say that it's strange to me that I have had absolutely _no_ desire to write from Eric's perspective with this story. It's been nothing but Sookie talking to me, which is actually kind of nice. So for those who are wondering, no, we won't be getting anything from Eric's perspective in this story. It's all Sookie. Hopefully, she's not annoying anyone haha.**

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><p><span>Chapter 6: Come Sail Away<span>

Ginger's attention to the mystery guest faded pretty quickly when she learned he was gay, and therefore found very little charm in her surgically enhanced breasts. Eric didn't seem to be very fond of them either, but wasn't the case for me when I caught him staring at my cleavage on more than one occasion. He always looked away before I had a chance to admonish him for it, even if there was a part of me that didn't mind him doing it. In fact, there was a rather immoral little voice that told me to drag him into the house and have an up close and personal look without my pesky shirt getting in the way.

Eric took a break to go inside and use the bathroom and that was when I realized how I knew the mystery guest. His name was Claude Crane and he had been casually dating Lafayette for the last few months. He rarely ever came into the restaurant when I was working but I had seen him a few times. Claude owned a night club of his own just outside of Ruston that catered to a specific clientele, but was usually frequented by women thanks to the male dancers who performed three nights a week.

When Amelia went to introduce us, Claude cut her off, "Sookie and I know each other."

"Oh?" Amelia looked surprised.

What was more surprising, as far as I was concerned, was that Amelia knew Claude. She didn't make it up to my neck of the woods very often, at least not that I knew of, and Claude was at his club six nights a week. It was something Lafayette often complained about since it cut deeply into their time together as a couple. Claude was a bit of a snob and rarely even said hello when our paths crossed.

"Where's Sam?' Claude asked me, taking me by surprise.

"My guess would be closing up the restaurant right about now," I wrapped my arms around myself and wondered why I hadn't thought to put on a pair of jeans when I put on my sneakers.

"I doubt it. Lafayette was supposed to have the night off but Sam decided to skip town and with you being here, Lafayette had to close," Claude looked at me like it was my fault Sam was gone.

"I don't know anything about where Sam is. You know is mother just died, right?"

Claude shrugged. Clearly he didn't give a shit about Sam's feelings but that was nothing new. Claude didn't seem to give a shit about anyone's feelings but his own. That, of course, is assuming Claude even has feelings. I honestly wasn't sure if he did or not. Lord knows he made it hard to tell sometimes.

What had been a pretty good night suddenly went in the crapper for me. I started to worry about Sam and where he'd gone off to. When I'd left him the night before, he was pretty miserable and frustrated. I knew a part of that was my fault but I suspected it had more to do with the state of his life in general. All at once his stepfather was arrested for murder, his mother was dead, he was going to have to raise his little brother and the girl he loved still didn't love him back.

It was a rough hand to be dealt and I couldn't blame Sam for needing a little time to come to terms with all the changes in his life. I knew he was exhausted, stressed out, grieving and frustrated and I hated that there wasn't really anything I could do to help him. I got lost in my own thoughts until Eric came and tapped me on the shoulder, nearly startling me right out of my skin.

"Sorry, didn't mean to spook you," Eric sat down next to me.

"It's okay," I said absently and looked over in Amelia's direction She was properly distracted with her other guests and I decided it was the perfect time to sneak off and go to bed. "Look, I'll see you in the morning, Eric. I'm turning in now."

I didn't get very far before he caught up with me, pulling on my shoulder to turn me back to face him. "Is something wrong?"

I took a deep breath and said, "I'm worried about a friend of mine. His mother was murdered last week and the last time we saw each other… I'm just worried he's not doing so well, that's all."

"Call him," Eric shrugged casually.

"I don't think that's a good idea. Things between Sam and me are complicated." That was putting it lightly but I really didn't want to go into all of it with Eric just then, even if getting a male perspective that didn't belong to my horn dog brother might have been a good idea.

"Boyfriend?" Eric asked me.

"Uh, no, Sam isn't my boyfriend."

"Is that why it's complicated?"

I nodded and looked off toward the lake. I didn't really want to talk about my situation with Sam any more than Eric wanted to talk about why anonymity was important to him but he didn't push for answers. I stood there staring out at the lake for a few seconds before mentally shaking myself out of it and giving Eric a soft smile.

"Goodnight, Eric," I said and then headed into the house.

I wasn't really all that tired. I just wanted to be alone with my thoughts. I went upstairs to my room. I peeled off my sweatshirt first and went in search of my nightgown. I changed clothes in the bathroom so I could wash my face and brush my teeth. I could hear the laughter and Eric playing his guitar again down by the fire Amelia had been feeding logs to all night. The smell of burning wood and the lake were mixed in the air, along with the light scent of the flowers in the nearest neighbor's yard.

The familiar chords of Bob Seger's 'Against the Wind' floated up in the night air. I'd heard the song a million times on account of my father and his friends. Dad liked music for the every man so I grew up on Bob Seger, Bruce Springsteen, Credence Clearwater Revival, John Mellencamp, Johnny Cash and the Eagles. The first song I ever remember hearing on the radio is _Hotel California_. I couldn't have been more than four-years-old, and yet I knew all the words to the song. It wasn't uncommon for the Colonel to break out his guitar and do his best Johnny Cash impersonation. He was actually quite good at it.

Hearing Bob Seger transported me back home to my Gran's and the warm summer nights were Dad would let Jason and I camp out in the backyard and stay up as late as we wanted to. It was a competition between the two of us to see who could stay up the latest and I always won. Jason was nowhere near the night owl I could be. He needed to keep moving if he was going to stay awake, but I could sit with my father and his friends for hours listening to them sing songs and tell stories about being in the service together.

Terry could be a little on the strange side sometimes and it wasn't until I got to high school and learned more about the Vietnam war that I understood Terry's strangeness was actually PTSD. He wasn't dangerous, most of the time, but I knew better than to sneak up on him just in case he ever mistook me for Agent Orange or Charlie. I was very careful in the way I approached him. I interviewed him for a paper I had to write for my psychology class in high school.

He had a difficult time articulating himself out loud, so he did a lot of writing. I learned he journaled quite a bit and that helped clear the demons that lurked in the darker parts of his mind. Terry's wife left him when he came back from the war, clearly changed by what he'd seen. He didn't have any children of his own so he acted as a close uncle to Jason and me. I was protective of Terry and got offended when I heard people muttering about how he was crazy, or should be hospitalized somewhere.

As far as I was concerned, he was doing the best he could with the hand God gave him. He went to his therapist twice a week, wrote in his journal and even did drawings once in a while. He raised Catahoulas which was a good choice for someone like him, since the dogs gave him a sense of purpose and a reason to feel needed. The dogs were all friendly and he often had a hard time parting with them after having raised them from brand new puppies.

Sam had been given one of those puppies for his sixth birthday, as a matter of fact. He loved that dog more than just about anything. She had been the runt of the litter and Sam named her Teeny. She was extremely protective of Sam, as was the nature of the breed. Teeny had known Joe wasn't a good guy before the rest of us did. Animals had that extra sensory ability and she always got her dander up whenever Joe came around. She would growl at him whenever he got near Sam and she even bit Joe a few times.

Teeny supposedly ran away when Sam was fourteen, but he never bought into that story. To this day, if you ask him, he'll tell you Joe did something to his dog. Knowing what I know now about Joe, I'd have to say I agree with Sam. If Joe was capable of murdering his wife, then a dog was nothing. I couldn't help but feel a little of the guilt Sam was feeling where his mother was concerned. I knew Marjorie and Joe were capable of some pretty nasty fights and there had been a few instances when Sam had to go pick her up in the middle of the night because Joe would lock her out of the house, or their fights would become violent and Marjorie didn't feel safe staying in the house.

Sam had tried to talk her into leaving Joe but she never would. Joe never aimed his rage at Tommy, thank God, but it still wasn't a healthy environment. Because of all the fighting and violence in the home, Tommy had some rage issues himself and was known to lash out at people in a similar way to his father, although never at women. He was very protective of his mother and even tried to get in the middle when his parents would fight. It never ended well and more than once Sam had shown up at the house only to find Tommy crying in a closet.

Tears welled in my eyes and then started to flow freely. I let myself cry for Sam and all the heartache he was going through. I wept for Tommy and the fact that he was going to grow up without either of his parents. Marjorie had been such a good person and it was beyond difficult to comprehend she was gone from the world. I thought about the promise I'd made to Sam that he wasn't going to have to do all of it alone; that I would be there to help him and I realized maybe that wasn't such a good promise to make.

I had meant it in the spirit of friendship, in that I saw Tommy as something like my own little brother. I got the feeling Sam saw my promise as something more of a romantic commitment, almost like a marriage. I couldn't be Tommy's mother, no matter how much Sam wanted me to be. I could never take Marjorie's place. I could be a grown up for Tommy to trust, but I couldn't be a replacement and I couldn't be Sam's wife.

I cried myself to sleep and spent the night tossing and turning. I had a series of strange dreams that left me feeling confused and anything less than well rested. I dreamed I was back at what I thought was Marjorie's funeral. Sam was at the pulpit giving his eulogy, only when I went past the coffin to pay my final respects, it was Sam lying inside. I dreamed of Eric as well. We were laying in one of the hammocks together just watching the clouds move overhead. That part of the dream felt peaceful and right, like I belonged there in his arms, listening to his heartbeat. But then the sky turned blood red and began to rain bloody tears.

I woke with a start just after sunrise and half expected to see a blood red sky waiting for me outside. Birds were chirping, ready to start their day. I rubbed my eyes, rolled over and tried to go back to sleep. I'd only been in bed for a few hours and I knew it was going to be a very long day. I pulled a pillow over my head and prayed for a little peace.

**o.O.o.O.o**

A knock on the frame of my French door was what woke me several hours later. I shifted in bed and pulled the pillow away from my face to see Eric standing outside on the porch. I internally panicked since I was sure I was rocking some epic bedhead, not to mention, I was wearing just an old t-shirt and a pair of boy shorts. I tried to tame back my hair and make sure I didn't flash too much of myself when I climbed out of the giant bed I was sleeping in.

"I didn't mean to wake you," Eric said when I got to the door.

"No, it's okay," I wiped my eyes. "What's up?"

"I was thinking of taking the boat out for a while. I thought I'd see if you wanted to come along," Eric offered.

I grinned like a thirteen-year-old who'd just been asked out by one of those Twilight guys and didn't even bother to school my face on the chance this was another of my weird ass dreams. I didn't even care about my bedhead anymore.

"Sure, that'd be great," I nodded.

"Good. How much time do you need to get ready?" Eric asked.

"Um, a half hour, I think would be enough. I'll meet you down at the dock," I promised him.

"We have to tow the boat over to the marina. Amelia said we can't launch from here anymore," Eric explained.

"Oh, well, then I'll meet you at the garage…wait! Eric, how are you going to tow a boat with your car?" I laughed at the idea of his little red Corvette (yes, that damn Prince song played in my head every freakin' time I said those three words) towing a 30 foot speedboat behind it.

"Amelia said there's a truck I can use," Eric informed me, which was certainly news to me.

"Oh, well, I guess we're all set then," I felt like the world's biggest dork just then.

"I guess we are. Thirty minutes?"

I nodded and said, "Thirty minutes."

He smiled at me and then took off for wherever he was going. I, on the other hand, slammed the French door and bolted for the bathroom. Not only was I going to be cutting it extremely close with the time but I had to pee like no other. I raced through my shower as quickly as I could and then dressed myself simply in a white bikini with lemons on it. I pulled one of my sundresses on over that and slipped on a pair of sandals. I grabbed my beach bag, sunglasses and my cell phone.

I rarely ever used my cell phone. It was mostly for emergencies and only a few people even had the number for it. I preferred most people calling me at home. I didn't see the need to carry on long personal conversations while I was out in public. There were just some things I didn't need to know about the lives of others and I figured they felt the very same way about me. But just in case Amelia needed to get a hold of me, or Sam called, I wanted to have the phone with me.

I ran through the kitchen and grabbed an apple and a bottle of water before dashing out to the garage. Eric was already sitting in the truck with the engine running and the boat all hooked up to be towed to the marina just a few miles away. If Eric knew how to get to the marina, I would be impressed since the truck he was in didn't have GPS. In fact, it was impressive the old truck had seatbelts.

"You know, you didn't have to be down here in exactly thirty minutes," Eric smirked at me as I sucked in air.

"I didn't want to keep you waiting. Besides, it's better if we go before Ginger decides she wants to come along," I tried to laugh but it mostly sounded like wheezing.

"She's out shopping with Amelia and Pam," Eric informed me.

"Oh," I uncapped my water and took a big drink.

"You sound disappointed," Eric teased and put the truck in gear.

"Heartbroken. Aren't you?"

"I don't know how I'll ever recover. Besides, when you think about it, Ginger might have come in handy."

"Oh yeah?" I arched an eyebrow.

"Well, say the boat sinks…I'm pretty sure there's enough air in her to make a great life raft," Eric shrugged as he drove.

My mouth dropped open in shock but that lasted for only a few seconds before I laughed so hard my stomach started to hurt a little. "Do you know where we're going?"

"I do. I got directions from Amelia before she left."

"And she gave you proper street names this time?"

Eric laughed and said, "I hope so. But you know where we're going, right?"

"Yessir," I nodded and took a bite of my apple.

"How am I doing so far?"

"So far so good," I smiled and then took another bite of my apple.

A half hour later we had the boat successfully launched and heading out into bigger waters. I was impressed to find Eric had packed a picnic basket and a small cooler with various drinks. I was even more impressed when he pulled off his shirt, leaving him behind the wheel of the boat in a pair of khaki shorts slung low on his hips without a hint of underwear. I must have stared too hard trying to figure out if that meant he was going commando because he cleared his throat and asked, "See something you like?"

My stupid traitor body flushed bright red, admitting my guilt for me without ever saying a word. I cleared my throat and tried to think of something clever to say when I noticed yet another scar on his body. This one was thin and about an inch long.

"I was just wondering about your scar," I stared pointed at the area.

"I'm sure you were, but that's not where your eyes were focused a minute ago," Eric called me on my bluff.

Alright, so I was staring at his stomach. While some guys would have been content with a nicely defined six pack, Eric had supersized to an eight pack. Since he was kind enough to remind me of where I had been staring, my eyes went right back to doing just that. Thankfully Eric's eyes were trained on the water. He also didn't answer my question.

We sped around the water for a while until Eric drove the boat up onto the beach of a small island toward the middle of the lake. I'd picnicked in the spot before but was happy to return to it. Eric helped me off the boat and we settled under a tree to eat lunch. The basket contained sandwiches, macaroni salad, little bags of chips, fruit salad and a bottle of wine.

"Did you do all this?" I asked while Eric pulled the food from the basket.

"I did. I figured it was the least I could do for waking you up," he said kindly and held up two sandwiches. "I didn't know what you liked and I noticed you didn't eat meat at dinner last night so I wasn't sure if you're a vegetarian. One is ham and cheese and the other is peanut butter and strawberry jelly."

"I'm not a vegetarian, I just don't like salmon," I smiled at Eric and reached for the peanut butter. "But I love a good peanut butter and jelly."

"Good because I'm allergic to peanuts," Eric admitted.

My jaw dropped and I asked, "What would you have done if I would have taken the ham?"

"I don't know," Eric confessed after a moment's thought and I laughed while unwrapping my sandwich. "I probably would have come up with a bunch of clever distractions and buried the sandwich a little at a time."

I shook my head and sank my teeth into the sandwich. I stopped myself from moaning, even though it tasted pretty damn good. "Good thing I picked the right one then. This is delicious, by the way. I haven't had one of these in years."

"Amazing how the little things from childhood can just make your day, isn't it?" Eric asked while opening a bag of cool ranch Doritos. "Want one?"

I nodded and reached into the little bag for a chip. "I remember when I was a kid I used to get so pissed because my Dad refused to buy these little bags like this. He always said it was a huge waste of money."

"He's probably right about it though," Eric said while claiming a chip for himself.

"Well, yeah, he was, but you don't really think about that when you're a kid. Kids don't think about the entire financial scope, only what they're seeing in the moment," I pointed out.

"That's true," Eric nodded. "My parents were the sort that preferred to throw money at a problem, so I got pretty much whatever I wanted."

"You sound disgruntled about it," I observed.

"It wasn't so bad when I was a kid but I can see now how it set me up to be less emotionally healthy as an adult. It's easier to give people things than it is to tell them how you feel."

"Feelings are tricky no matter how emotionally healthy, or well adjusted, an adult might be, but I do agree that the way we're brought up sets the foundation for how we deal in the future."

"What about your parents?" Eric asked.

"Uh, they divorced when I was three. My mother was never really cut from a maternal cloth. She was in love with my father but being a mom just didn't suit her. So after my parents split up my mom sort of disappeared. She'd pop up from time to time when it was convenient for her but she was always more like a stranger than a mother. I was raised by my father and my grandmother.

"My Dad is about as blue collar as a guy can get. He's a Vietnam vet but the war didn't touch him the way it did a lot of guys. I think it made him grateful and more appreciative of what he had back home. My Gran is a steel magnolia through and through and very strictly enforced a traditional southern upbringing for both me _and_ my brother, although I'm not sure much of it stuck to Jason." I smiled and took another bite of my sandwich.

"Jason is your brother?"

I nodded and said, "Yep, he was born a week before Dad had to ship out for the war. I was born a year after he got back. What about your parents?"

"They're practically strangers to me," Eric shrugged. "My mother died in childbirth so I never met her. My father was always more concerned with his businesses than he was me, so I was mostly raised by nannies until I was old enough for boarding school. Then Dad married Pam's mother when I was five and a year later Pam was born. I spent most of my childhood bouncing from one boarding school to another. I spent a lot of time in Europe, specifically in Sweden where Pam's mother was from. Helena is the closest thing I've ever had to a mother and we get along well. Our relationship lasted longer than her marriage to my father did."

"I'm sorry about your mother. Sometimes it feels like mine is dead to me, but she's not. She's just out there living a life she doesn't want me to be a part of," I shrugged and reached for the fruit salad.

"I'm not saying it isn't shitty, but think of it like she was doing you a favor. I mean, how much worse off would you have been if she had stuck around and made you feel like a burden to her everyday? At least with her gone, you were raised by people who loved you and wanted you."

Eric hadn't spoken in a way that made me think he thought I was being a brat but I still felt guilty anyway. I couldn't imagine having grown up under the similar circumstances to the ones Eric had. We were quiet for a while before Eric broke the silence.

"I didn't mean to be harsh on you," he said apologetically.

"You weren't," I smiled at him and said, "And you were right. I know I'm better off without her but I get curious sometimes."

"That's natural. I wonder about my mother all the time," Eric looked off toward the water. "Dad won't talk about her. I finally tracked down her family a few years ago. Turns out they aren't far from where Helena's family lives in northern Sweden."

"Your Dad's got a thing for Swedish women, huh?"

"He owns a huge corporation there and he liked dipping his pen in the company ink, so to speak," Eric informed me.

"Ah ha," I guzzled some of my water.

"Dad's a real charmer when he wants to be," Eric sounded more annoyed than impressed or amused. "He traded in Helena for younger model and she was only twenty-seven when he divorced her. Thankfully he got himself fixed after Pam was conceived."

"When I was little I always wanted a sister. My Dad never remarried so for a while my cousin Hadley was like a substitute sister for me, but then I met Amelia and we've been good friends ever since."

I didn't want to talk too much about Hadley. She was five years old than me and it was because of her that I wasn't able to go back to summer camp the year after I met Amelia. She'd gone out to celebrate with some friends who had just graduated from high school. There was alcohol at the party she was at. She was the designated driver that night but the roads were wet. She lost control of the car and it ended up going over the side of a bridge.

Somehow Hadley ended up pinned behind the wheel and she drowned in the small river that went through town. The other passengers in the car were too drunk to be of much help to her and could barely get themselves out of the car, let alone go back under to help Hadley. The hardest part was finding out after her autopsy that she was nine weeks pregnant and hadn't told a soul. Either she didn't know, or she just didn't tell. The only thing we knew was that we'd never know what Hadley knew.

When we were finished eating Eric took the picnic basket and the blanket we'd been sitting on back to the boat. I stripped off my sundress and applied sunscreen to my stomach and as much of my back as I could get before Eric volunteered to finish the job for me. I handed over the bottle over to him and said, "Do your worst."

"I'll do yours if you'll do mine," he winked at me and then started rubbing.

I definitely got a small back massage to go with the application of my sunscreen but I didn't mind, especially when he got to my shoulders. I was afraid, for a moment, my knees might start to give out on me. I closed my eyes and breathed the warm air, hoping he would never be done.

"My turn," he announced with a whisper in my ear.

I startled slightly before turning around. "Um, you're going to have to get down a little. You're too tall for me."

Now when I said that, I assumed he'd just kneel or something. Instead, Eric lay down in the sand and rested his head on his forearms. I sputtered for just a second before deciding if this was a game, I could play along. So after taking a moment to stare at that very nicely sculpted ass of his, I sat on it and started rubbing sunscreen into the small of his back.

"Sorry, I hope you don't mind," I said casually and only got a grunt in response.

After taking much longer than necessary to rub sunscreen all over his back, neck and upper arms, I finally got up and went to rinse my hands in the lake. For a moment I thought Eric might be asleep since he hadn't moved and he looked awfully relaxed. Where was a bucket when I needed one? Nothing like a cool shock of water to the head to wake someone up. Although I did have to pat myself on the back a little since I didn't think I was an accomplished enough masseuse to have someone fall asleep as a result of my work.

All of a sudden Eric popped up like he had just been biding his time and maybe he had been, for all I knew. I jumped back, lost my footing and fell flat on my ass. Eric whirled around, both laughing and apologizing at the same time. I laughed about it as well, at least until I started to feel a stinging sensation in my foot. Eric reached down to help me up. I stood, but put no pressure on my left foot.

"What's wrong?" Eric asked when I leaned on him to hop out of the water.

"My foot hurts," I said as we made our way back to shore.

"Did you sprain your ankle or something?"

"No," I shook my head and turned my knee the other way so I could see the bottom of my foot. "I just cut myself."

"Oh, shit, Sookie, I'm sorry," Eric apologized.

Blood was gushing rather quickly from the bottom of my foot and for a few seconds, Eric looked hypnotized by it. "You're not one of those people who faint when they see blood are you?"

"What?" Eric shook himself. "No, no, blood doesn't bother me. Here," he scooped me up like he was fixing to carry me over the threshold and deposited me onto the boat before climbing in himself. "I saw a first aide kit under this back bench."

Eric handed me some spare napkins from the picnic basket so I could apply some pressure to the cut. He instructed me to keep my foot up higher than my heart as best I could while he got the supplies he needed to fix my boo boo, as he so adorably called it. What grown man calls an injury a boo boo when he isn't talking to a child? Still, it made me giggle that he did it, and it was sweet of him to be so concerned.

I watched him clean the cut as best he could with the supplies we had on the boat. Turns out the cut wasn't very big and Eric figured it was just because it was on my foot that it was bleeding so much. He bandaged me up and then leaned in to kiss the spot.

"All better?" he asked with sweetness and apology written all over his face. It really was touching.

I shook my head no, since a kiss on the foot wasn't what I was after.

"Where else does it hurt?" he asked me while straightening up and staring at my lips. Major points for staring at my lips instead of my boobs, considering how close they were to being on display in the bikini I as wearing.

I tapped my lips with my index finger and I wasn't the least bit surprised when he leaned in and kissed me. What did surprise me was the lightning speed with which my hand found the perfect place to rest on the back of his neck. There was a break in the kiss, just long enough for us to decide if that was all there was, or if it was just the beginning. Our eyes met and I discovered he was smiling at me with his eyes.

"Keep your foot up," Eric whispered against my lips and then kissed me again.

* * *

><p><strong>*giggles* And so it begins. Sexy as hell, has tattoos and mystery scars, plays music by ear on either guitar or piano and is good in a crisis. SERIOUSLY WHERE DO I GET ONE? *sigh* There'll be a new chapter tomorrow and I'll do teasers again. Thanks for reading!<strong>


	7. I Could Fall in Love

Chapter 7: I Could Fall In Love

We lost track of time on the boat and spent way more time kissing than we should have. He was just so damn good at it and if I were a different kind of girl, we would have done a lot more than kissing. Even though my body was screaming at me to just one time not stick to my moral code, I pulled away from him when I felt his fingers toying with the knots on my bikini.

"Too fast?" he asked breathlessly.

"A little," I nodded and sat up slowly. "I like you, Eric, a lot, but I'm not the sleep around type and you're practically a stranger to me."

"It's fine," the way he looked at me assured me it was.

"Good. We should probably start heading back anyway," I could tell by the position of the sun in the sky it had to be late afternoon.

The party didn't start until about sunset and would probably go all night long. Eric had insisted I stay on the boat while he went to retrieve the things I'd left behind on the beach so I wouldn't get my bandaged foot all wet. It didn't really hurt anymore but I figured it was better to leave well enough alone. Somehow—and I'm sure I'm completely innocent in how it happened- I ended up sitting in Eric's lap for the ride back to the marina.

Getting the boat hitched up to the truck took longer than I expected and we didn't get back to Amelia's until close to five. I offered to help Eric get the boat stowed but he wouldn't hear of it. Instead he handed me the picnic basket and sent me on my way with a kiss that made me reconsider why I ever stopped us from going further on the boat. I was unpacking the picnic basket when Pam came into the kitchen.

"Nice rack," Pam said without the slightest bit of hesitation.

I looked down to notice the top of my bikini was slightly askew and I shifted it to prevent a very Janet Jackson like malfunction from happening. "Thanks, Pam." What else I was supposed to say?

"Beach bum looks good on you," she said as she got a bottle of water from the fridge. "I bet my brother does, too."

The bitterness in her tone at that last part made me wonder what her deal was. Did she not like me, or something? I just kept quiet since I didn't feel the need to confirm or deny any insinuations she was making. Instead I said, "He packs a mean picnic basket."

Pam snorted and said, "I'm sure that's not all he was packing."

Her comment seemed out of place being that Eric was her brother. Either that or I had a dirtier mind than I realized. Before I could ask her what she meant by her comment, Eric came inside with his shirt on and his sunglasses hiding his eyes. He strolled past me and shot a smirk in Pam's direction before heading for the stairs.

What the hell was that about?

Pam left me alone after that and when I was done unpacking I headed upstairs myself. I was a little disappointed that I hadn't heard from Sam at all but I knew he was the kind of guy who would always retreat and go off alone when he needed to lick his wounds. I just worried since Sam couldn't really go off on his own since he had Tommy to take care of. I picked up the phone to call Sam but decided it was better if I didn't. When he was ready, he would come find me. Until then it was best to just leave him be.

While I was in the shower I started thinking about Eric the way he blew me off in the kitchen. Not that there were any grand declarations that needed to be made but did he have to act so aloof around Pam? He walked past me like he didn't even know me, which was just strange. He'd kissed me like he meant it before sending me into the house so I was confused as to what had changed in the course of a few short minutes. I was in the middle of washing my hair when Amelia came in and started talking.

I was too lost in my own thoughts to pay much attention to whatever she was blabbering on and on about. I tried to tell myself not to worry too much about Eric. It's not like we were on a date, even though it had sort of felt like one. The kissing told me there was definitely something between us but I had no idea what that something might be. And the fact that he was ignoring me now was incredibly immature of him. Assuming he _was_ ignoring me. Maybe he was just one of those private types who didn't want his personal business aired out in front of his sister.

I mean really, what was I expecting from him? _A simple 'I had fun today,' would have been nice_, the Miss Manners portion of my brain said. I turned off the water in the shower and reached around the curtain for my towel. I wrapped myself in it before pulling back the shower curtain. Amelia was dressed in a flowing bohemian dress with big, dangly earrings and bejeweled sandals. She looked party hippie, part gypsy in her wardrobe choice and she was still rambling on about whatever it was she was talking about.

"So what do you think I should do?" Amelia asked at the end of her rant/long winded question.

Since I had absolutely no idea what the hell she was talking about I said, "Go with your gut."

She looked me dead in the eyes and said, "You weren't listening to me, were you?" My silence was all the answer she needed and she continued, "Sookie, this is important! Please pay attention!"

She started over from the beginning and I did the best I could to absorb what she was telling me. Apparently, she had strong feelings for Pam and really enjoyed spending time with her. However, she'd also met a guy named Tray that she was extremely attracted to and wanted to get to know him better. Ideally, she wanted the best of both worlds but didn't think either of them would be willing to share her.

"I like that Pam is so feminine and she understands why I crave the gentleness of being with a woman. But then Tray is just so…" she trailed off while she thought of the word she wanted. "He's so masculine, I guess. I like that he could be rough with me and while I like having sex with Pam, it feels like there's something missing sometimes."

"Well there's your answer, Amelia," I shrugged.

"But if I give Pam up then I'll be missing something with Tray," she pointed out.

"Are you and Pam a couple? I mean exclusively with each other?"

"Pam doesn't do anything exclusive except shoe shop," Amelia smirked.

"Okay, so then why not go out with Tray and test the waters a little? If Pam isn't the exclusive type," and I hoped that wasn't a family trait because no way would I share Eric if we were ever to become a couple, "then talk to her about it and see what she thinks. Maybe she would be okay with the three of you being together."

Leave it to Amelia to want to complicate her life instead of simplify it. She was the only person I knew of who was experimental enough with her sexuality to consider having a three-way relationship. Personally, I thought it was a terrible idea. Someone's feelings were inevitably going to be hurt by the situation. She was going to end up feeling a pull toward one person more than the other and if Pam was just another passing fancy—like I suspected she was- then Pam was going be the one left out in the cold.

"But don't you think it'll sound like I'm telling Pam she's not enough for me?" Amelia asked while I combed my hair.

"Maybe, but isn't that sort of the point of all this?" I looked at her reflection in the mirror.

She sighed and slumped down onto the closed toilet. "I want too much."

"Ames, when it comes to being in love with someone you should never settle for second best. Hold out until you find exactly what you want in a person, and then go after it with everything you have," I told her.

"Like you and Eric?" Amelia raised a knowing eyebrow in my direction.

"What about me and Eric?"

"Well, there's that mark on your neck, for starters," Amelia pointed and I gasped when I realized there was definitely a red spot on my neck courtesy of the male Northman.

"Son of a bitch," I muttered while staring at it in the mirror.

"So how far did you go on the boat today? I need to know what should be sterilized," Amelia giggled.

"It was just kissing, perv, and I don't even know if it meant anything. It was probably just the heat of the moment," I shrugged but felt a little pain in my chest when I said it.

"Bullshit. I know you too well, Sookie Stackhouse, and you don't just go around kissing boys in the heat of the moment. So spill it," Amelia folded her arms like a mother waiting for an explanation as to why I was coming late for curfew.

I told her about the trip and how the kissing ended up happening in the first place and the more I talked, the more excited she became. "This is so great, Sookie! Isn't Eric gorgeous? I mean, he's not really my type, but I'm not blind. I say go for it."

I rolled my eyes and said, "I'm not really sure there's anything to go for, Ames."

"Oh come on! I've seen the way he looks at you."

"We've barely been in the same place for more than a few minutes," I shook my head and reached for my makeup bag.

"Yeah, well, while he was singing last night he kept staring up at your room. And he was asking about you yesterday," Amelia said with a shrug and I knew she was baiting me to see if I'd bite.

"Ames, I like him, don't get me wrong. I'm just not sure if the feeling is mutual. Besides, I don't really know anything about him," I said even though that wasn't entirely true.

I'd learned a great deal about him that afternoon but I wanted to know more. If I was honest with myself I wanted to know everything. There was something fascinating about Eric. He gave rather vague answers to the questions I asked and he was hesitant to talk about his scars or the various tattoos I now knew he had. But then I didn't want to talk about Hadley so I guess we each had our painful subjects we'd rather not discuss. Then there was the matter of Sam, which I had blown off as elegantly as I could the night before without going into much detail.

"Well isn't that what dating is for?" she pointed out before giving a look that clearly told me I needed to go for it and leaving the room.

**o.O.o.O.o**

I was a total mess. Crawfish wasn't something you could eat in a delicate or dainty fashion. It was a messy business under the very best of circumstances. Having grown up in Louisiana, I was a professional when it came to eating them but Eric definitely looked lost. I was giving him his space and decided to let him come to me if he wanted to talk. If he could play hard to get, then so could I.

That's how he ended up sitting next to Ginger at dinner. She was fawning all over him, making the process of extracting the meat from a crawfish much dirtier than it was. She made sure to use the words, 'suck the head' as many times as she possibly could and every time she did she got a little closer to being in Eric's lap. The whole thing was laughable as long as you weren't Eric. When Ginger got up to get herself a fresh drink, Eric quickly picked up his plate and moved to the open seat beside me.

"Hope you don't mind," he said when he sat.

"Nope, I don't mind," I picked up my ear of corn and started nibbling. There was _nothing_ dignified about the meal Amelia had selected to kick off her birthday party.

The yard was full of people, most of whom I didn't know. Amelia had put together a mix of summery music so we were all engulfed in the sounds of Bob Marley, Jimmy Buffett and the Beach Boys. She had tiki torches lit to keep the bugs away, and two separate fires going in the yard. As expected, a rental company had come to set up the backyard with tables and chairs. Claude and Ginger had put up the screened-in tent which I found miraculous since I didn't think Claude did manual labor and I was wasn't convinced Ginger knew left from right.

"I'm sorry about earlier in the kitchen," Eric apologized when I didn't say anything else for a few minutes. "I didn't mean to blow you off; I just don't want Pam sniffing around."

"I understand," I felt relieved, more than anything. "But you could have told me that while we were still outside."

"You're right and I'm sorry," Eric apologized again. "How's your foot?"

"Okay, I think. It doesn't hurt and I put a fresh bandage on it after my shower. Thank you, again, for taking care of me earlier," I wiped my mouth on what had to be at least my fourth napkin.

"It was my fault you got hurt in the first place," Eric shrugged it off.

"Actually, I like to blame whoever left the broken bottle there."

"Good point," Eric smiled and then began to tear into another crawfish.

We chatted while we ate with Ginger looking royally pissed that Eric had ditched her for me two nights in a row. I didn't pay her much thought, however, and focused on the conversation I was having with Eric. He was talking about Norse Mythology, something I knew next to nothing about, when the party came to a crashing halt for me. Sophie-Anne and Andre arrived together, as I expected they would, and my skin was immediately crawling.

Andre was creepy as ever with the leer I was getting. Even though he was in his mid-twenties he still looked no older than thirteen. I could feel him staring at me while I tried to focus on Eric recounting the story of Beowulf. I'd read it in college but for the life of me, I couldn't remember anything about it. And try as I might, I couldn't shake the feeling of Andre watching me. Being completely naked in front of Sam would have been preferable to the way Andre was staring at me.

I was thankful when Eric said he needed another beer because it gave me an excuse to get up and be out of Andre's line of sight for just a few minutes. Eric had picked up on my tension and intentionally stared in Andre's direction when I told him what was wrong. Eric clearly saw nothing worth being intimidated over but then Andre was relatively the same size as Ginger. It wasn't Andre's size that intimidated me, although I knew better than to assume he was weak just because he was small.

"Sookie, I think you're worrying for nothing," Eric reached into the cooler and grabbed a beer for me.

"I'm not worried; I'm creeped out," I said and twisted the cap off the beer.

"Sookie, Eric!" Amelia called out to keep us from getting too far away. Sophie-Anne and Andre were following her in our direction and I internally groaned. "Sookie, you remember Sophie-Anne and Andre, right?"

"Of course," I slapped on my emergency smile and nodded at each of them. "It's nice to see you again. Can I get y'all something to drink?"

"Mineral water," Sophie-Anne requested in that hoity toity southern belle accent of hers that I hated.

"Uh, we've got Ice Mountain but that's it," I reached into a cooler.

"White wine?" she asked with a huff.

"Sure, I'll go get it," I volunteered and scampered off toward the bar, hoping Eric would be able to say something clever enough to hold Andre's attention for the two minutes I'd be gone.

Unfortunately, Andre was hot on my heels and I swear he sniffed me when we caught me at the bar. _Creeper!_, my brain was screaming at me. I took a step to the right to put a little more space between us since Andre didn't seem to get the signals I was sending for him to stay away from me.

"Sookie, it's nice to see you again. It pleases me that you remember me," Andre was back to leering at me and making my skin crawl like no one else could.

"Can I get you something to drink, Andre?" I asked in hopes of making this reunion as quick and painless as possible.

"No thanks," Andre took a step closer.

Thankfully that was when Eric appeared on the scene and put a protective arm around my shoulders. "Need some help uncorking the wine?"

"Oh, yes," I handed it over to him, not at all caring that my hands were shaking.

I felt safer with Eric standing there and it was obvious Andre felt insulted by the intrusion. He lost interest approximately two seconds later and then retreated to Sophie-Anne and Amelia. I wrapped my arms around Eric's waist and buried my face in his side, taking deep breaths in attempts to calm myself.

"I thought you said you weren't worried," Eric looked down at me.

"Shut up," I muttered and went back to breathing him in.

Much better.

**o.O.o.O.o**

Eric and I ended up on the pier again, only I kept my feet out of the water on account of my cut. The last thing I needed was an infection. Not only did I not have health insurance at the moment, but my job required I be on my feet for most of my shift. An infection would just be way beyond inconvenient. Eric and I talked about all sorts of things, starting with him finishing the story he was telling before we were interrupted earlier.

He had yet to tell me what he did for a living and I started to wonder if maybe he wasn't working, or maybe he was living off his family's money. I told him about finishing college and how I would be starting my job hunt when I got back to Bon Temps.

"Bon Temps is a small place so finding jobs there can be difficult. I'll probably end up working in Ruston or Monroe since they're bigger towns. I would probably have even less trouble if I looked in Shreveport, but that's a pretty big commute to make everyday."

"I can't say I've ever been to Bon Temps before," Eric told me.

"Most people haven't. It's not a very big town and most people who live there have had family in town for generations. We don't get a whole lot of newcomers to our neck of the woods."

"And how long has your family been in the town?"

"Since it settled. My great great great grandfather was one of the founding fathers," I told him with a cheesy grin.

"So then your family was there through the Civil War," he smiled at me.

"Oh, now I know you're not a southern boy or you would have just said _The War_ like everyone else does," I laughed and Eric laughed right along with me. "So how did you end up in Louisiana anyway?"

Eric's face took on a more solemn expression as he formulated his answer. "I did a lot of traveling after I finished high school. My father set up a trust fund for me when I was little and I started receiving monthly stipends from it when I turned eighteen. Since I was essentially homeless after graduation, I decided to travel for a while and see other parts of the world. I didn't want to end up living in my father's house or under his rules so I only used the trust fund money when I absolutely had to. I worked my way from place to place, trying to decide what I wanted to do with my life.

"While I was in Dublin I met a girl and fell head over heels in love with her. She was from a small town in Tennessee. We weren't together for very long when she found out she was pregnant. I moved to the states to be closer to her and the kid since she couldn't stay in Europe forever and we didn't want to get married just because we were having a baby. What I didn't know was that she was already married when I met her. She and her husband were separated and, as it turns out, she was pregnant before we met. I have no idea whose baby she was carrying but it wasn't mine.

"Things didn't end well between us but she went back to her husband. I fell into a bad crowd of people and ended up doing some things I wasn't proud of. I lived in Las Vegas for a few years before it got a little too hot there for my boss and he moved his operation to New Orleans. I was moving up the ranks for him and ended up getting stationed in Shreveport and I've been there ever since," Eric said all of this without looking at me.

"What do you mean things got hot in Vegas?" I asked him, having a sneaking suspicion I knew exactly what we meant.

"My boss was…well, let's just say a lot of his business was off the books," Eric wouldn't offer anything more than that.

"You mean to tell me you worked for the mob?" My mouth dropped open.

"Used to," Eric clarified. "That scar you asked about earlier on the boat, I got that when I told him I wanted out. I was in the hospital for six weeks because of that."

"He stabbed you?"

"No, of course not. He had his second in command do the dirty work. Felipe never gets his own hands dirty; that's Victor's job. And Victor is _very_ dedicated to his work."

"So what did you do for your boss, exactly?"

"I was an enforcer," Eric admitted, finally meeting my eyes.

"What does that mean?"

"It means that when people had debts to pay and they didn't have the financial resources to make their payments, I made sure they paid in other ways."

Inside I was recoiling like Eric was suddenly on fire but on the outside I kept my face as blank as I could. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. The Eric I'd been talking to up until that point didn't mesh with the Eric that was being described to me. He went on to tell me some of the grittier details of his former job and then the reasons why he quit. His bad boy, rebel without a cause vibe was starting to make sense to me and I wasn't sure how I felt about it.

"So you've killed people?" I asked him. It dawned on me that was what the tattoo on the back of his neck was about and I reached over to touch it. "Is that why you have this?"

"I have killed people," Eric admitted but I didn't pull away from him. "But that tattoo isn't about the number of people I've killed."

"What's it about?" I let my hand slide down the side of his neck.

"It's the number of years I've been sober," Eric told me, adding another layer of intrigue to his history.

"Oh," I pulled my hand away. "You've certainly had an interesting life."

"I've made a lot of mistakes," Eric was still looking me in my eyes. "I've done a lot of things I'm not proud of and I made a lot of choices that were bad for me. I did a lot of those things while I was fucked up and out of my mind but that doesn't make me any less at fault for them. I don't blame anyone but myself for how I ended up."

I believed him when he said that. I looked into his eyes and tried to find what must have once been a cold hearted killer and I just couldn't see it. I could see he was troubled, maybe even nervous, but I didn't see anything cold or evil like I thought I would. I felt safe with him and I was honored he was trusting me with this information considering we hadn't known each other for very long.

"Why are you telling me all this, Eric?" I asked him.

"Because I like you and I want to see you again after this weekend, but I want you to know who you're potentially getting yourself involved with. I quite literally have skeletons in my closet. So I guess I'm telling you this because if you want to bail, now's the time."

I thought about it for a minute and stared up at the brilliant night sky while I did so. Everyone had things in their past they weren't proud of. Part of me was fascinated as to how Eric ended up in the position he was in. I wanted to know more. I wanted to understand how things turned out like they did. The common sense part of my brain told me I would probably be better served if I ran the other way as fast as I could and forgot I ever met Eric Northman. There had to be a safer choice out there than him.

I thought of Sam then and realized that I wasn't interested in safe. If safe was what I wanted, I could have that with Sam. Maybe things with Eric wouldn't work but it wasn't because of his past. When I looked at him I just didn't see that career criminal with a homicidal streak that he had described to me. I saw someone with a big protective streak and a sense of humor that I found both interesting and attractive. There was something almost magnetic about him.

"I don't want to bail," I told Eric, who let out a deep breath he'd been holding. "I think we all have things in our past we wish we could do differently. When I look at you I don't see the person you're describing. Your past doesn't matter; it's who you are now that's important."

Eric leaned toward me so his lips were right near my ear. I could feel his breath on my neck and my heart skipped a beat. If I always felt that way when he got close to me, I was in big trouble. I heard him inhale and groan quietly before whispering, "I think I'm going to fall in love with you, Sookie Stackhouse."

My heart did a flip-flop in my chest and all I could think was I hoped he was right because I was pretty sure I felt the same way about him.

* * *

><p><strong>So Eric has a violent past and some pretty insane stories locked up inside of himself. We'll get more on those later, I promise. She'll be peeling him back one layer at a time. I debated over doing teasers but what the hell? It gives me a reason to respond to reviews and some of the reviews crack me up. Thanks for reading!<strong>


	8. Crush

Chapter 8: Crush

I returned to Bon Temps feeling refreshed and excited. Eric had asked me to have dinner with him later in the week. We exchanged phone numbers before he left since he didn't stay at the summer house for as long as I did. He would send me text messages, something I generally reviled, at the strangest moments to tell me little things. He would see something that reminded him of me or he would just say that he missed me. It was sweet to get these little electronic post-it notes from him when I least expected it.

I went to Dad's before going home to my own house. I hadn't seen him since Marjorie's funeral and I was curious to know if he heard anything from, or about, Sam. So far Sam hadn't called me and I refrained from calling him. Between needing space to figure out where his own head was and my greatly improved mood thanks to Eric, I didn't want to make him feel any worse.

I found Dad out back with Terry and a whole team of Catahoula pups that were in need of new home. "Hey Daddy!" I called from the porch.

The dogs all stopped what they were doing and ran at me to check if I was a friendly or not. They were all sniffing at me and jumping a little, trying to get any stray pets I might be in the mood to dole out. They were enthusiastic little devils but Terry was already doing his part to get them under control.

"Get down," he said with authority in his voice and all of the puppies stopped jumping except for one. I decided that little rebel was my favorite and bent to pick it up.

"Aren't you just the cutest little monster ever?" I scratched between its ears.

"That's the runt," Terry said as I walked forward with the dog in my arms, scratching his back and belly. "If you want him, he's yours."

"Give me a few days to think it over?" I asked and Terry nodded.

"It's good to see you, Sookie," Terry smiled at me and called the other puppies to follow after him.

"The dog gets a hug and your old man gets hollered at," Dad shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Daddy," I put the puppy down and gave my father a proper hug. The little monster must have decided I was a friendly, and one he personally intended to watch over since he refused to leave my side.

"Looks like you have a new friend," Dad bent down to scratch the dog's head.

The puppy was tan and white with the prettiest aqua eyes I'd ever seen. He whimpered to get my attention and didn't seem to mind it one bit when I picked him up again. I kept right on scratching him while I filled Dad in on my trip down to see Amelia. He wasn't the least bit surprised to learn Amelia was dating a woman, nor was he surprised to learn that Andre was still a great big creep.

"I met someone while I was down there," I informed my father, since he was going to have to meet Eric eventually if things worked out.

"Did you now?" Dad started for the house and I followed him. I set the puppy down on the deck and he cried a miserable little cry when I went inside the house without him. "What's he like?"

I knew Dad was going to ask that question and I had already decided it wasn't up to me to tell my father about Eric's past. I knew if I told him that he was going to judge Eric solely on the person he was instead of the person he had become. I wanted my dad to see all the good things I saw in Eric. It wasn't that I was in denial about the things Eric did in the past so much as I saw it like Eric had done more than enough judging of himself without me pointing out how shitty his choices were.

So I told Dad what I knew about Eric, starting with Eric's childhood and the death of his mother during childbirth, all the way to him living just a few dozen miles away over in Shreveport. I told him about the cut on my foot and how Eric had been gentle and calm about cleaning and bandaging the wound. I told him how Eric made me laugh and had a lot of intelligent things to say that tested my own views and opinions without making me feel like I had to agree with him.

"And he's what people of your generation would call 'foxy,'" I teased as Dad handed me a glass of iced tea.

"You don't need to speak in my outdated lingo. I'm down with the funky stuff," Dad said in the nerdiest way imaginable.

"Goon," I shook my head and Dad just winked at me before taking a drink of his tea. "So you like this Eric fella?"

"Yessir, I do. We're having dinner together on Thursday," I told him.

"And when do I get to meet him?" that was the other question I knew Dad would ask.

"When I'm sure it's going to be something more than a few dates," I really hoped it would be.

Common sense was warning me to be careful and not move too fast with Eric. All the right chemicals had been released in my brain to make me think that sleeping with him was a good idea but I didn't want to rush into it. We hadn't even been out on a date and I was already kissing him. And I may have kissed him a lot more before he left for Shreveport. In fact, he _may_ have snuck into my room the last night he was at the summer house and tried to sleep in my bed with me.

I didn't let him stay the whole night but we did snuggle for a little while and it was nice. I felt relaxed around him. I liked having him close. But I also didn't want to push for too much too fast. Things were going well and I knew a relationship could be ruined by sleeping together too quickly, just like it could be by waiting too long. When the time was right, I'd know it. Until then, I'd just have to tell my body to calm the hell down.

"How's Sam doing?" Dad asked me, which was also an expected question.

"I was hopin' you'd have an answer for me on that one. Before I left for Amelia's Sam and I sort of had a little problem pop up and he hasn't called me since," I said and took a long drink of my tea.

"So then he doesn't know about Eric yet?"

I shook my head and said, "No, I think Sam's off somewhere lickin' his wounds."

"Uh oh," Dad went around to the table and had a seat.

"I don't know what to do, Dad. I love Sam, I really do; it's just not the same way as he loves me," I sat down next to him at the table.

"Honey, that boy's been in love with you since probably the day he met'cha. I know if you could you'd feel the same way," he said and I nodded my agreement. "What happened this time?"

"He kissed me," I admitted and expected a reaction out of Dad but got nothing. Maybe this was only shocking to me. "I felt nothing but awkward and I didn't kiss him back."

Dad sighed and looked at his tea. "I shoulda put bourbon in this."

"Daddy!" I admonished him half heartedly with a laugh.

"I woulda put some in yours, too," he winked and leaned back in his chair. "I don't know what to tell you, Sunshine. I know Sam's your friend but maybe it's time to accept that this relationship has run its course. You know I like Sam an awful lot but you're my daughter so I have to take your side on this one. Besides, it's not fair to either of you to hold onto a friendship that doesn't fit. All it's going to do is eat away at you and make you feel bitter and that's not right after how long y'all have been friends."

Dad wasn't surprised when I came home that very first time and told him Sam had feelings for me, just like he wasn't surprised now. Dad never had a problem with Sam and I being friends and I knew I would have his full support if my feelings for Sam ever changed. I just didn't like the idea of it having to be so all or nothing when we had done just fine in the gray area for so long.

"I just don't understand why we can't just be friends," I sighed and drank some more of my tea.

"Put yourself in Sam's shoes for just a minute, Sookie. Would you want to see him with another woman if you had his kinds of feelings?"

"No," I admitted. "But this isn't about Eric."

"Not directly, but it's about every other man that's going to come into your life to claim the prize that Sam wants for himself," Dad reached for the pitcher of tea and refilled my cup.

I knew he was right and I didn't like it one bit. What was I supposed to do? I was used to having Sam to lean on the same as he was used to having me. I didn't know if things were going to work out with Eric. He had a lot of dark secrets in his past and I knew we'd only scratched the surface of what was really there. It scared me a little to know Eric had such an extensive past full of bad choices, violence, mistakes and regrets. It made my own life feel dull and tame by comparison.

Dad asked if I wanted to stay for dinner but I needed to get home and unpack my things. I had at least two loads of laundry ahead of me and whether I liked it or not, I had to bite the bullet and call Sam. My schedule was the same from week to week at work but I was worried about him. I wanted to make sure he was okay, even if he was still upset with me. I was worried about Tommy, too, since the trauma he'd suffered was worse than what Sam was going through.

At least Sam was an adult with better coping skills. Well, I'd like to think Sam had better coping skills. Sometimes I wasn't too sure about it though. By the time I got back to my own house it was just around dinnertime. The little runt Terry had offered me had followed me all the way to my car, hoping to go home with me. Poor thing was damn near devastated when I didn't take him.

I was still thinking about it but puppies were a lot of work and Catahoula pups, in particular, thrived on being trained. They were meant to be working dogs more than they were companions. I promised Terry I'd have a decision for him by the end of the week. I tried to figure out if I had enough space for the dog since he wasn't going to stay so small and cuddly forever. Thankfully, the dog's coat was sleek and not all fluffy and downy like some of the others were. I didn't want dog hair all over my house.

I liked animals well enough but I wasn't a big fan of keeping them in the house. Growing up, Jason had one pet after another. My Gran had the same cat for seventeen years before it finally died of renal failure just two summers before. I wasn't sure what the lifespan was of a Catahoula, but I knew by taking it on I was probably looking at at least a decade of caring for the animal. A pet was a big commitment I wasn't sure I was ready to make.

I was just about to call Sam when a new text message chimed on my phone and I smiled to see Eric's message. He was counting down the hours until we saw each other again and while it might have been cheesy of him to admit it, I was doing the same thing. As far as I was concerned, Thursday couldn't come quick enough. I smiled at my phone for far too long before pushing the speed dial number for Sam's cell phone.

As I expected, the call went to voicemail but at least I knew Sam didn't ignore the call mid-ring. "Hey, Sam, it's Sookie. I just got back from Amelia's. While I was down there I ran into Claude and he said you've been AWOL the last few days so I'm just checking to make sure you're doing okay. Give me a call back if you want, otherwise I hope I see you at work tomorrow. Take care," I said and then hung up before I could playback my message and record it a second time.

I kept my phone close by while I did laundry and made myself a simple dinner of grilled cheese and tomato soup. A little comfort food was called for and when my phone rang, I scrambled to answer it. While I was hoping to see Sam's name on the display, I wasn't disappointed to see Eric's name instead. I missed the sound of his voice.

"Hi," I practically squeaked like the thirteen-year-old girl I sometimes felt like I'd been reduced to whenever he was in presence (and I considered being on the phone being in my presence).

"Good evening, Sookie," he nearly purred at me. There was a part of me—and I won't name which one- that ached to know if we were face to face, would he have kissed me hello? "How was your drive back?"

"It was fine. Boring, but fine. I stopped and saw my Dad this afternoon. His friend Terry was over with the puppies he's raising and I think I might be keeping one," I warned him. "You aren't allergic to dogs, are you?"

"Nope, not at all. In fact, I am quite fond of dogs. I've never been big on cats."

"I don't mind cats. Gran had one named Tina while I was growing up. She mostly stayed out of the way and spent her time dozing in the kitchen windows or out on the front porch watching birds and squirrels run around," I recalled the number of times I'd been sitting on the front porch swing reading with Tina in my lap, only for her to jump down and go chasing after something. Gran had more than her fair share of 'presents' in the form of dead rabbits or chipmunks left on the porch.

"What are you doing now?" Eric asked me.

"I just finished cleaning up my supper dishes and I have a load of laundry that's going to need folding soon. If it didn't look like it might rain overnight I'd leave it to dry on the line out back," I sighed and went to the refrigerator to refresh my iced tea. "What are you up to?"

"Oh, just cleaning my guns," Eric said in a tone that I hoped was teasing but since I wasn't sure, I stayed quiet. "That was a joke, Sookie."

"Oh, sorry," I shrugged even though he couldn't see. "Do you…I mean I know you're out of the business, but do you still own a gun?"

There was silence for a few seconds before Eric said, "I own several, as a matter of fact. I only keep one in the house. The rest are locked up at a shooting range. Do you know how to fire a gun?"

I laughed and said, "Eric, I'm a southern girl. I learned to fire a gun before I learned to drive a car."

"Are you a good shot?" he asked me.

"Well I'm not about to sign up for sniper school, but I do okay," I laughed in response.

I realized then that Eric was about as far away from Sam as I was ever going to get. Sam despised guns and refused to have one in the restaurant, even though Lafayette and I had tried to convince him it was a good idea to have a way to protect ourselves if anyone ever got it in their head they wanted to try their hand at robbing us. Eric was also pretty straight forward and seemed to be lacking the filter that would keep him from asking too many personal questions.

Being around Eric was intense a lot of the time because he'd spent so many years living a rather dangerous lifestyle. He told me his former job forced him to appreciate how quickly life happens and he had no intention on wasting his time when he knew he found something of value. I felt my heart swell at hearing him say those words because I took it to mean he valued me. The feeling was mutual.

"My father wants to meet you," I told Eric with a smile.

"Should I be worried?" Eric snickered with good humor.

"Daddy's all bark and no bite, believe me. It's just that I don't usually date much and the fact that I told him about you when we haven't even been on a date yet sort of means something-" and I stopped myself right there because I realized how ridiculous I sounded.

"Sookie? Are you still there?" Eric asked after a few seconds of silence.

"The earth hasn't swallowed me yet," I sighed in embarrassment.

"For what it's worth, I would have told my father about you, too, except I have no idea where the hell he is," Eric said and I could hear the smile in his voice. "I did email Helena though."

"You did?"

"Yes, I did. I sent her the picture Amelia took of us sitting by the fire."

"Oh," I blushed at the thought of the picture.

There was nothing lewd or scandalous about it at all. It was just Eric and me sitting on the ground together by the bonfire. He was sitting Indian style and I was sitting in the little crater between his big legs. His arms were wrapped around me and my head was resting on his chest. We were both smiling at something although I had absolutely no idea what it was we were smiling about. I'd tried and tried to figure out what we were talking about when the picture was taken but I had no clue.

"Firelight looks good on your skin; you glow," Eric purred that last part. If he didn't stop talking like that I was going to hang up, get in the car and drive all the way to Shreveport just to jump him and come home.

"Then you'll be happy to hear I have a fire pit out back," I smiled into the phone. "I mostly use it for burning leaves and things in the fall, but every once in a while I'll get a fire going on a cooler night."

"No crawfish boils in your backyard?" Eric teased.

"Heck no! If I want a crawfish boil, I call Daddy and he'll set it up in _his_ backyard," I explained to him.

"So you're a daddy's girl?"

"Yessir. It sort of happens when he's the only parent a girl has, I expect. But I think you'll really get a kick out of my Gran. You know, if you ever meet her," I wanted to kick myself. Hard.

"Don't beat yourself up too much, Sookie," he said as if he knew what I was thinking. "I'm flattered that you're excited about me meeting your family. Most people would run after the things I told you and they certainly wouldn't want me coming around their family."

I took a deep breath and said, "It sounds like you've lived a very lonely life, Eric."

"Yeah, well," I could hear the emotion in his voice and it made my eyes well up a little.

"Wanna meet half way?" I asked him.

"What?"

"Tonight. Wanna meet half way?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean we get off the phone, get in our cars and drive to Minden and meet there," I suggested.

"You're serious?" Eric seemed surprised.

"You said you miss me, right?"

"Right," he agreed.

"I miss you, even though I should have said it sooner. I can't stay with you all night but I could for a little while. Why by lonely alone when we can be lonely together?" I suggested.

"I like the way you think, Miss Stackhouse," the smile had returned to Eric's voice.

"And I like that we both drive fast cars. I'll meet you at the Dairy Queen on Shreveport Road," I told him and then blew him a kiss goodbye before hanging up.

* * *

><p><strong>I really need to start adding author's notes to my chapters as I write them so I don't have to think of something clever on the spot to say. Also, there will be way less temptation to include spoilers about waaaaay future chapters that will make absolutely no sense to you now. I got a little distracted by a one shot that Scribeninja is trying to convince me to extend into a short story, but I'm working on chapter 24 of this story today. I've come to the realization this will probably be AT LEAST as long as Hot For Teacher was, if not longer. Why can my simple ideas never stay that way? *sigh* Oh well. I'll be sending teasers again, so don't be afraid to click that little review button. Thanks for reading!<strong>

_JUST A REMINDER! YOU MUST HAVE YOUR PMs ENABLED IF YOU WANT A RESPONSE TO YOUR REVIEWS, OTHERWISE I CAN'T SEND YOUR TEASER._


	9. Better Than Ice Cream

Chapter 9: Better Than Ice Cream

It's safe to say I floated into work the next day and the second Lafayette laid eyes on me he knew something was up. He got this goofy grin on his face and followed me back to Sam's office where I stowed my purse while I was working. I was disappointed to see Sam wasn't there. He hadn't called me back but I hadn't given it much thought since I was so preoccupied thinking about Eric.

"Girl, you better give me _all_ the gossip," Lafayette closed the door behind us.

"What gossip?" I grinned over my shoulder knowing damn well what he meant.

"Either you had the best sex of your life, or you's in love. Either way, I want the details," Lafayette parked himself on the ratty old couch Sam kept in there.

"I met someone," I said but didn't elaborate. I was going to make Lafayette work for it.

"And?"

"And I like him," I shrugged.

"Bitch, you need to knock it off with this Hannah Montana bullshit and give me the 411 before you need 911," Lafayette threatened and I laughed.

"His name is Eric and he's gorgeous, smart, funny and unbelievably sexy," I said, knowing that was the right combination to get the wheels turning in Lafayette's head.

"Sounds like my kind of man," Lafayette patted the sofa. "Tell me more."

I sat down on the couch and told him what I felt comfortable telling him and once again, I left out the darker bits of Eric's past. While I was leaving those things out because of respect for Eric's privacy, there was also a part of me that didn't want everyone judging me for my choice. I didn't want them thinking I was only interested in Eric because he was dangerous, when I didn't see him that way at all.

"When do I get to meet this modern day Viking of yours?' Lafayette asked when I was done giving a fuller description.

"I don't know," I shrugged and said, "Technically, we haven't even been on a date yet. We're having dinner tomorrow."

"Girl, if you only have dinner with him, I'll be shocked and very disappointed in you," Lafayette warned me.

"Laf!" I slapped his arm.

"You ain't sixteen no mo', princess. It's time to lose that Pollyanna attitude of yours toward sex. Sometimes you just need to break yourself off a piece," he told me.

My cheeks flamed red since I'd had a few dreams already where I had done just that but Lafayette didn't need to hear about it. "I saw Claude this weekend. I didn't know he was friends with Amelia."

"Me either until he told me where he was going. Did he behave himself?" Lafayette looked concerned.

"Of course he did. Why wouldn't he?"

"He's got a wandering eye," was all Lafayette would say, although I could tell a dark cloud had settled over him.

"Believe me, Laf, no one else at the party was his type," I assured him. "Although he did give Eric a serious eyefuck."

"Eyefucking I can handle," Lafayette got up and went to check himself in the mirror.

I didn't really know what else to say. Did he want me to ask about his relationship drama, or should I stay out of it? I decided if he wanted to talk about it, he'd just lay it out on the table for me. Since he didn't, I kept my questions to myself. I got up and grabbed a fresh apron from the pile on the shelves near the door and tied it around my waist.

"Heard anything from Sam?" I asked while I pulled my hair back into a ponytail.

"Boss man called yesterday to tell me he's in Texas and won't be back until Monday. Whatever is going on between you two, y'all need to work that shit out because I do _not_ want to be the middle man between you," Lafayette informed me.

"I called him last night and left a message but he didn't call back," I shrugged. "I'm worried about him but I can't help if he doesn't want me to."

"He wants you to; we both know that. The problem is, you can't help him the way he wants you to help him," Lafayette said with a thrust of his hips. I knew it was meant to make me smile but it just made me feel worse. He seemed to realize that and apologized. "Sorry, Sook, I'm juss tryin' to help."

"I know," I nodded and opened the door. "Let me know if you want me to stick around through closing."

"Nah, it's your first night back; I got this," Lafayette popped me on the behind with a dish towel before heading back to his place in the line.

**o.O.o.O.o**

I stopped short when I realized there was a present for me on my windshield. It was just a single orchid but the shape of it reminded me very much of a specific part of my anatomy. I blushed hard and grabbed for the card that accompanied the flower. My name was scrawled on the outside of the envelope in masculine script that was slanted ever so slightly to the right. I rightfully assumed the card and flower were from Eric, and if I thought the flower made me blush, the card was worse.

_The scent reminds me of you and the shape gives me images of a part of you I have yet to see with my own eyes. I miss you._

He signed the card with just and 'E,' but it was enough. I collected the flower and smelled it. I never gave much thought to the way I smelled, but if he enjoyed the light, floral fragrance, I'd make sure I smelled like that as much as possible. I tried to get creative and think of something I could send back that would encapsulate the same things but men generally had a muskier, woodsy smell to them. It's not like I could send Eric a cedar plank and a bar of soap without it seeming weird.

I decided I'd thank him in kisses. I was sure he'd prefer that to a material gift anyway. I was new to the whole concept of romance, since the most romancing I ever got was watching Noah rebuild that old house for Allie in the Notebook. Bill hadn't been very big on it, although he had been chivalrous. He believed in opening doors, pulling out chairs and holding my hand when we walked down the street together.

While I knew Eric tended to follow that same line, I also knew he was the type who would just as easily forgo the hand holding if I told him he could walk with his hand in my back pocket. My modesty wouldn't allow for such a thing when we were in public, although there was definitely some appeal to the idea. I drove home with a grin on my face while I tried to formulate the right response to text him, other than a simple _thank you_.

I smiled the whole way home, thinking back to the two hours Eric and I had spent in the parking lot of the Minden Dairy Queen the night before. He was waiting for me, leaning up against his car, when I pulled into the parking lot. He'd opened my door for me and greeted me with a warm hug and a lingering kiss hello. Our fingers had laced together as we walked into the little shop that was standing room only. There were tons of picnic tables outside, however, and after we ordered our preferred treats, we claimed one of them.

With school being out already for the summer, the place was pretty crowded with teenagers. More than one girl gasped and puffed her chest out when Eric walked past but he paid them no mind. We fell into comfortable conversation discussing basic getting-to-know-you sort of things. I learned his favorite movie was _Pulp Fiction_ and he was a big fan of classic rock. He also had a soft spot for Motown and had a pretty extensive vinyl collection.

When he kissed me goodnight I felt like I left my body for a second, only to be yanked right back down when his lips moved to my neck and found a spot I didn't know would make me do crazy things. I pulled him tighter to me and ended up rubbing against him in what was definitely not a PG rated way. Letting him go had been difficult but necessary. We pulled out of the parking lot at the same time and went our separate ways.

I pulled into my driveway and parked closer to the back of the house. I collected my purse; flower and the note Eric left me and hustled inside. I was still no closer to deciding what I was going to say in response but I knew I'd come up with something. I got the shower started and peeled off my clothes before stepping under the cool spray. After washing my hair and standing under the lukewarm water for a bit, I stepped out and wrapped a towel around myself.

A brilliant idea popped into my head and I ran for my cell phone. I dialed Eric's number and sat down on one of the kitchen chairs. I stared at my feet while waiting for him to answer and decided I'd go for a pedicure the next day before our date. I had to go into Monroe to find a new dress anyway.

"Good evening, Sookie," he greeted me with that purr again.

"Good evening, Eric," I responded in kind. "I got your note and the flower. It was very thoughtful of you."

"I'm glad you liked it," he said.

"I did. I just wanted to call and thank you."

"You're welcome. What are you up to?"

"Nothing much," I said in as flirty a tone as I could muster. "I'm just sitting here dripping wet and thinking about you."

Silence. Dead silence. Did I kill him?

"Eric?"

"Are you teasing me, Sookie?" his tone turned a bit dangerous and if he kept it up I'd be dripping wet for other reasons.

"Not at all. I just got out of the shower," I told him.

He groaned into the phone and my lady business definitely had a reaction of its own to the sound he made. "What were you thinking about me?"

"How sweet it was of you to go out of your way to bring me a present. Now I have to think of something to give you in return," this flirting thing was fun, even if it made me a little uncomfortable.

"Do I get to pick my reward?" he asked.

"Nope, it's giver's choice. I should get off the phone now, but I'm excited about tomorrow," I told him.

"So am I. I'll be at your house at seven," he promised.

"I'll be waiting," I said and then we said our goodnights and got off the phone.

**o.O.o.O.o**

I twisted and turned in front of the mirror and smiled at what I saw. My dress was mostly orange except for the last six inches above the hem, which were cherry red. It was just my luck I hadn't thrown away a pair of orange pumps I'd worn once for a Halloween costume a few years before. The orange matched my dress perfectly. My toes were painted almost the same shade of red as was in the dress, but there was a hint of gold that made the color shimmer.

I sprayed myself with a citrus lime body spray and pulled my hair back away from my neck. Since I wasn't big on jewelry all I wore was a pair of ruby earrings my Gran had given me that were my great grandmother's once upon a time. I dashed into the bathroom and brushed my teeth before expertly painting on my lip stain. I had no idea where we were going for dinner but Eric had told me it wasn't too fancy.

I borrowed a red and orange beaded clutch from my friend Tara, and put everything in it I was going to need for the night. I smiled at the flower sitting in a small vase on my nightstand and then headed downstairs to wait for Eric. I flipped through the TV channels for a while but that only made me more anxious. I tried flipping through a magazine but that didn't help either. Usually I worked off nervous energy by cleaning but it wasn't like I could pull on my rubber gloves and have a go at my fridge. What an image that would be when he arrived.

My foot had just started tapping when I heard the rumble of his Corvette pulling into my gravel driveway. My heart leapt up into my throat and I took a few deep breaths in attempts to calm myself down a little. Eric had barely knocked on the door when I was jumping up off the couch to answer the door. I braced myself against the cool wood, took a few more deep breaths and then pulled the door open.

My God, he looked good. Dark washed jeans were slung low on his hips just like the day we went out on the boat. I could smell the light and earthy smell of his aftershave and it made my body hum. I knew then I was going to get addicted to that smell. He had the ability to rock the bedhead look unlike anyone I'd ever met before and his lopsided grin forced my cheeks to burn just a little. Apparently he liked what he saw as much as I did.

"These are for you," he extended his hand to review a small bunch of wildflowers that were a million times better than an expensive bunch of roses.

"Thank you," I smiled and sniffed the flowers. "Do you want to come in?"

"Sure," he said and I stepped back to let him in.

"I'll be right back," I promised and then hustled to the kitchen to put the flowers in some water. I had a feeling they wouldn't make it much past morning but I didn't care. They were beautiful and the fact that he'd thought to pick them up at all was what mattered.

"Is this your family?" Eric asked pointing to a picture I had framed on the wall near the television.

"Yes, it is. That's my father, brother Jason, Gran, Aunt Linda and Sam." I bit my bottom lip.

"You look like your father," Eric smiled over at me.

"Actually, I look more like my mother; I just don't have any pictures of her on the walls," I confessed. He knew it was a somewhat painful subject for me so he didn't press for more information.

"Have you heard from Sam?" he asked gently.

I shook my head no and said, "I think it's probably for the better."

He nodded once and then said, "Well, you can give me the tour another time. We have eight o'clock reservations."

"Reservations? Eric, you said we weren't going anywhere fancy! Am I dressed okay?" I looked down at what I was wearing; suddenly worried I was way underdressed.

"You look stunning," Eric leaned in and kissed my cheek.

My breath caught in my throat and when he put his hand on the small of my back, I relaxed. "Let me just get my bag and my keys and we'll go."

I grabbed my things and led him to the front door. Eric walked out first, pausing to take in the exterior of my little house while I locked up. When I turned around he had his hand extended, waiting for mine to fit in it. I gave him my hand and let him lead me to his car. As usual, he opened the door for me and helped me into the seat. I hadn't given much thought to how low the Corvette was to the ground and I was careful not to go flashing my hoo-ha as I sat down.

Once he was sitting next to me he started the car and started to back up out of the driveway. "So, Sookie, how do you feel about Japanese food?"

* * *

><p><strong>Somewhere someone very specific is laughing over the concept of Eric eating sushi on his first date with Sookie. The Eric, in spite of his dark past, is looking pretty perfect, isn't he? It's my goal to keep the relationship angst to a minimum after writing LTS, so prepare yourselves for the opposite end of the spectrum. I swear, you'll be dangerously close to puking rainbows at some points. Teasers will go out again. Thanks for reading!<strong>


	10. Dancing in the Moonlight

**For those of you who were asking, I put links up in my profile to outfits I put together on Polyvore so you can see what I was seeing when I wrote certain chapters of this story. Some of the outfits listed there are for chapters I haven't yet posted, so you might get a bit of an idea of where we're headed.**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 10: Dancing in the Moonlight<span>

I was a little nervous about the idea of Japanese food, only because I'd never had it before. My family was more about southern classics and barbecue than they were about being adventurous in different kinds of cuisine. In fact, it wasn't until I got to college that I even had fried rice, and Eric explained that where we were going, they didn't even have that since fried rice was Chinese and not Japanese.

"If you don't want to go there, we can go somewhere else," he told me.

"No, it's okay. I can be brave," I smiled at him. He didn't know it but he earned another point for getting me to try something new I probably wouldn't have tried on my own.

I'd heard of Benihana before and I assumed Red Star was very similar to it. The menu didn't seem all that big to me but Eric assured me it was rather extensive. I was willing to try new things but I was going to have to draw the line at raw fish. There was brave and there was crazy and I wasn't ready for crazy just yet.

"Do they have anything here that's cooked?" I smirked while looking at the menu.

"The teriyaki chicken is pretty good if you look at the Teppanyaki side of the menu," Eric pointed over the table to the far right panel of my menu.

"What is teriyaki?" I'd never felt more sheltered than I did just then.

"It's a sweetened soy sauce, I guess is the best way to describe it," Eric took a drink of his water. "Ever had Sake?"

"No," I shook my head and he smiled at me.

"It's traditional Japanese wine made from rice," Eric explained to me.

"Oh," I shrugged and said, "I'll give it a try."

I sat back and let Eric do the ordering for us since I had absolutely no idea what anything was anyway. Our Sake came first and I was delighted by the flavor of it. It was nicely chilled and had the flavor of vanilla and nectarines mixed in it. It was delicious and Eric warned me not to drink it too quickly since it packed quite a punch if you weren't used to it. I was careful to alternate Sake with water so I wasn't wasted before our appetizers arrived.

Eric attempted to teach me how to use chopsticks but I just wasn't coordinated enough to get the hang of it. I blamed it on the Sake but I'm pretty sure Eric saw right through that. But then Eric held up a California roll and asked me to try it.

"What's in it?" I inspected it curiously.

"Avocado, crab and cucumber."

"Is there seaweed?" I scrunched my nose.

"Yes, but you can't really taste it. If you hate it, you can spit it out and I promise I won't bug you about it anymore," Eric urged, pushing the roll a little closer.

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly before opening my mouth. He leaned forward, keeping his eyes on mine and gently put the roll in my mouth. It was a big bite, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be. I was almost sad I had chewed it so quickly. I took a drink of my Sake after I swallowed while I mulled over my opinion.

"What'd you think?" Eric asked and then popped what he'd told me was a Rainbow Roll in his mouth.

"It wasn't bad. I don't think I could eat nothing but that, but a taste wasn't terrible," I confessed.

He smiled at me and then we were quiet while we finished eating. We shared a banana tempura split that was probably one of the best things I'd ever eaten. The bananas were stuffed with bittersweet chocolate, dipped in tempura batter and deep fried. The bananas were then drizzled with a rum-spiked caramel sauce and a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream was alternated between bananas. It was amazing.

By the time we left the restaurant, I was completely stuffed and just slightly buzzed from the Sake. Eric waited until we were in the car to ask me for my overall opinion of Red Star. I thought it over for a few seconds before saying, "I'd go there again."

"Good, because it's one of my favorite places," he smiled and reached for my hand.

"Where are we going now?" I asked as he drove along.

"It's a surprise," Eric said as if I should know better.

"I can't have a hint?" I batted my eyelashes at him.

"Nope," he shook his head.

There was suddenly a little devil on my shoulder telling me if I wanted to, I could probably get it out of him. All it would take was a series of small touches or maybe brushing his hand against strategic parts of my body, but I didn't want to play that card on a first date. I'd save that for later. We ended up on the highway headed back toward Bon Temps and my heart sank at the thought that dinner might be all there was to the evening.

But then Eric went past the Bon Temps exit and got off at the exit for Arcadia instead. We ended up taking a series of back roads that probably wreaked havoc on the undercarriage of Eric's car. I caught him grimacing a couple of times and got the impression he didn't go off the paved roads very often. Truthfully, a Corvette in Louisiana made about as much sense as a snow plow in the Florida Keys, but I didn't say anything about it to Eric.

We ended up at this place called The Moonlight Ballroom which was just an outdoor dance hall in the middle of nowhere. Eric parked his car, the only one that _wasn't_ a pickup truck, toward the back end of the lot. He turned to me in his seat and said, "I noticed you like dancing."

"I do," I agreed with a nod of my head.

"Then I hope this was a good choice," he smiled at me before getting out of the car to help me out.

I made a mental note to never again wear a skirt in his car. We walked over to the gated entrance of the outdoor dance hall which was essentially a tent covered dance floor that was lit by twinkle lights, tiki torches and Japanese lanterns hanging from the ceiling of the tent. A band called Stan and the Texas Two was playing on the small stage at the far end of the dance floor and it was obvious the big dance was the two step, or whatever line dance was appropriate.

I had a sudden mental flash of Eric dressed like a cowboy that caused my heart to flutter and my panties to dampen just a little. There was a small bar set up and everyone in attendance was over twenty-one. I scanned the crowd for anyone I recognized and smiled when I didn't see a single familiar face. Not that I wouldn't be okay with introducing Eric to the people I knew, but I wanted to keep him to myself for a little while longer if I could.

"Care to dance, Miss Stackhouse?" Eric asked me and I nodded.

We stepped out onto the dance floor and I was surprised at how good of a dancer he was. I knew he was nimble when need be and he was definitely on the athletic side, but that didn't always translate into graceful, which was important when dancing a two step. I learned that Stan and the Texas Two were actually friends of Eric's, which was how he learned about the Moonlight Ballroom to begin with.

Stan Davis, the singer, reminded me a little of Buddy Holly with his glasses and rather nerdy demeanor. He was a good singer, though, and his voice was reminiscent of Johnny Cash, only not quite so heavy. We danced to a medley of country standards before taking a break to get something to drink. It was warm and sticky outside and we were both definitely sweating. Mosquitoes were about to become an issue and I was going to have to start carrying bug spray in my bag when I knew I was going to be out for extended periods of time.

Eric had surprised me with the dancing. I figured we'd have dinner and see a movie or maybe go bowling or play mini golf. I definitely preferred the dancing and even though he didn't know it, he was racking up points right and left with me. It felt good to know he was paying attention to the things I said and being even more observant of the things I didn't.

The real fun part was attempting to teach Eric how to line dance. I'm pretty sure the ability was encoded in my DNA somewhere but I knew it wasn't easy for folks who'd never done it before. Eric picked it up rather quickly, which didn't surprise me at all. He was amazed at how many different dances there were. Before I knew it, I had him doing the Thunderfoot dance like he'd been doing it his whole life.

"You're startin' to look like a good 'ol boy," I grinned at him as we walked off the dance floor.

Line dancing in five inch pumps was no easy feat and I told him as much. "Next time you wanna come here, let me know so I can bring my boots."

"You have cowboy boots?" Eric arched an eyebrow at me.

"Of course," I nodded like he should know better. "I don't wear them very often, but I have them."

"Do you go to rodeos too?" he teased after we found an empty table to claim.

"Not since I was a little girl and thought maybe I wanted to work on a horse farm," I admitted and he laughed.

"You like horses then?"

"Yessir," I nodded and took off my shoes. My feet were killing me.

As if he knew that, Eric lifted of one of my feet and started rubbing. Our eyes met and I knew I was in big trouble with the way he was looking at me. There was that hint of danger in his eyes that made me want to squirm and throw myself at him all at once. He gave an excellent foot rub and by the time he was finished, the last thing I wanted was to put my poor feet back in their little five inch prisons but I didn't have a choice.

"One more dance and then we'll go," Eric suggested and I agreed.

Our last dance was a short one since it was to "Wildwood Flower." It was such a pretty song and one I had grown up hearing on account of my Gran who was still a big fan of the Carter Family. As warm as it was, it felt good to have Eric holding me close as we moved around the dance floor. That feeling of being safe and protected washed over me and I trusted him to lead us around the floor. I closed my eyes as I shuffled my feet in time with the music. When it was over, I was a little sad since I would have happily stayed that way with him for much longer than those three or so minutes.

"You ready to go?" he whispered to me.

I was half way to sleep by then and I hadn't even realized I was tired. Then again, I didn't think I was tired so much as I was relaxed. I nodded and tilted my head up to face him. "Thank you for this. I had a lovely time."

"Good, I'm glad," he kissed my forehead and led me toward his car.

**o.O.o.O.o**

"What's your favorite song?" Eric swung our connected hands between us.

"Simple Man by Lynyrd Skynyrd. Dad used to sing it to me when I couldn't sleep. What about you?" I asked and grinned when he raised my hand to kiss it while we walked up the front steps of my house.

"Nothing Else Matters by Metallica," he answered without hesitation.

"I've never heard it," I admitted, earning me a look of shock and insult.

"Next time we go out, you will," Eric promised me.

"So there's going to be a next time?" I figured there would be but I didn't want to assume just in case I was wrong.

"That's up to you. Do you want there to be a next time?" he tucked some stray hair behind my ear.

"Yes, I definitely want a next time," I kissed the inside of his wrist when his hand lingered by my ear.

"Good," he tilted my chin up and then leaned down to kiss me.

While I definitely enjoyed his kisses, they were dangerous. It was easy to lose myself in them and forget that it was only our first date so I really shouldn't be going any further than that. His hand moved to my hair and gently pulled the elastic from it so his hand could get lost in the tangles. I wound up pressed against the door with Eric's free hand drifting down my neck to my chest and gently massaging my breast over my dress.

When his lips pulled away from mine they trailed light kisses down the side of my neck, moving from one side to the other as if he was trying to figure out which side he liked better. It had never taken me so long to say goodnight to someone and technically speaking, we hadn't even said goodnight yet. When I felt the urge to hitch my leg up around his hip to pull him even closer, I decided it was time to call it a night.

I captured his lips one more time and kissed him like I meant it before breaking the kiss gently and pushing him back. "I think I should go inside now before I go too far."

"I'm okay with going too far," Eric whispered in my ear and licked that spot on my neck.

I shivered and for a minute, my body was ready to completely take over before my brain returned to the driver's seat. "I'm not. I want you, Eric, I do, but I don't want to rush."

"It's okay," he said sincerely and kissed the tip of my nose. "When are you free again?"

I took a deep breath and let my hands lightly run up and down his sides as I said, "I'm off Thursday and Sunday. I work the lunch shift on Monday and I'm on until closing the rest of the week."

"Do you have plans on Sunday?" he asked and pressed a small kiss to my forehead.

"I have church and supper at my Gran's to go to but I should be home by six if you want to go see a movie or something?" I suggested.

"You, me and a dark room? I like the sound of that," he wiggled his eyebrows and kissed me again before I could chastise him for his dirty thoughts. Frankly, I liked the sound of it, too.

I managed to pull back from him and breathlessly whispered, "I need to go inside before I invite you to stay." He kissed that spot on my neck again and in spite of myself, I moaned loudly. "Goodnight, Eric."

He let me push him back and he had a big grin on his face. "Goodnight, Sookie," he managed to walk down the steps backward without falling on his ass, which I considered to be real talent.

I stood on my porch and watched him get in his car and drive off before I went inside. The night was, hands down, the best date I had ever been on. I couldn't wait for Sunday.

* * *

><p><strong>Alright, who's puking a rainbow right now? VAlady asked if this would cause readers to crap a unicorn as well. I suppose that is entirely possible. Y'all will have to let me know if there's going to be an abundance of unicorns milling around. I'll do teasers again because you're so awesome. Thanks for reading!<strong>


	11. All I Want

Chapter 11: All I Want

By the time Merlotte's closed Saturday night, I was completely wiped out. The weekends were always busy and we could tell it was pay week in the parish because we saw an extra spike in our customers. By Friday night most moms were worn out from working all week and didn't feel like cooking. The younger crowd was ready to get a little crazy on the drink specials and find someone to take home for the night if they weren't already attached.

It was a lot of running around crazy, making sure the drunks stayed in the bar and the diners were getting their food, as ordered, in a timely manner. Friday night I nearly had to kick Rene out since he couldn't seem to keep his hands off Arlene. I was happy for her and all, but she was on the job and Sam wasn't paying her to flirt with her fiancé. Once upon a time Arlene and I were friends because I understood how difficult it was being a single parent on account of my father having raised Jason and me (mostly) on his own.

But then when Sam promoted me to assistant manager, Arlene started getting pissy with me. She never said so to my face but I'd heard her telling people she thought I was fucking my way to the top. I was both insulted and hurt by her accusations and I started giving her the cold shoulder after that. The way she looked at me changed and we stopped being so friendly. Losing her as a friend wasn't really that much of a loss, though I did miss her kids.

In spite of what a bitch their mother could be, Coby and Lisa were good kids. I used to babysit them sometimes so Arlene could go out and run her errands without little hands grabbing at things or throwing fits in the middle of the store. I didn't mind it, really. I liked the kids and they liked me and the experience showed me I could be a mother someday if I ever met the right person.

I was grateful for the next day being my off day. As soon as I got home I got in the shower and washed the restaurant smell off me. I hated smelling like I'd been beer battered and deep fried. After putting on a lightweight cotton nightgown I checked my cell phone. No messages from Eric, which I thought was strange. Usually by that time I'd have at least a couple of text messages waiting for me.

He told me he was generally a night owl and didn't get to bed until close to sunrise. Personally, I didn't usually stay up that late but thanks to my job I was rarely in bed before midnight. At the moment it was just after one in the morning. By Eric's standards he should have still been awake but I didn't want to risk waking him so I plugged in my phone and crawled into bed. My feet were done in for the night and I couldn't even think about going anywhere else.

I was just about asleep when my phone started buzzing beside me. I used to keep it downstairs on the kitchen counter to charge overnight, but ever since I gave Eric the number, I'd been keeping it in bed with me. I realize how juvenile that sounds, but I was willing to sacrifice my sleep if it meant being able to talk to him even for just a few minutes. I didn't even look at the display before flipping the phone open.

"I was wondering when you'd call," I purred in a sleepy voice.

"Sookie?" Sam's voice filled my ears and my eyes popped open.

"Sam?" I sat up in bed, both happy and surprised to hear from him. "My God, Sam, where have you been? I've been worried sick about you!"

"Who did you think was calling just now?" Sam asked.

"Never mind that. Where are you?" I didn't want to tell him about Eric over the phone. Truthfully, I wasn't looking forward to telling him about Eric at all, but I didn't want him finding out from someone else either. I owed him better than that.

"I'm on your front porch," he said somewhat sheepishly.

"Stay there; I'll be right down," I closed the phone and bolted out of bed.

Sam was dressed the same as always in a pair of beat up jeans, cowboy boots and a flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up. His hair was a little wild and he had more stubble on his face than I was used to. It had been more than a week since I'd seen him last and it was like he'd aged a decade in that time.

"Sam," I rushed forward and hugged him. He was warm and familiar and I was so happy to see him. "Come in, come in," I urged and pulled him inside after the hug broke. It didn't occur to me right away the hug had been one sided. "Can I get you something to drink? Are you hungry? Where's Tommy?"

"Slow down, Sook," Sam sighed, ran his fingers through his hair and collapsed on the couch. "It's been a long couple of days and I really…"

"What?" I sat on the coffee table. "Sam, what's going on?"

"I'm sorry for snapping at you like I did before you left that night. My feelings for you aren't your problem and it's not fair of me to take it out on you. I know better than anyone that you can't help how you feel."

"Sam, don't worry about it," I waved it off. Suddenly all that didn't matter. Was it because it never really mattered to begin with, or because my feelings had shifted to someone else?

"It's just a lot of change happening at once and I know when you said you'd be there for me you meant it as a friend and nothing more. I just got used to you being there before I even knew I needed you and I didn't want to lose that. I don't know what the hell I'm going to do with Tommy. I don't know if I'm ready for this responsibility but I can't let the state take him because I'm scared. I don't know what to tell him about Joe and even though he's not asking questions yet; he will. It's just too much," Sam cradled his head in his hands.

I shifted to the couch beside him and rubbed his back gently. "Sam, I know it's easy for me to say, but I promise you it's going to be okay. I meant what I said when I told you I would be there for you. I'll help out any way I can. You're my best friend and I love you _and_ I love Tommy. You're not going to have to do this alone."

Sam stood up suddenly and started pacing. It was a nervous habit of his and I knew there was something else he wanted to say to me. He would open his mouth to talk but then shut it again. I was exhausted but I wanted to hear everything Sam had to say. I also thought maybe I should just tell him about Eric and get it over with.

"Sam, there's something I need to tell you," I said when a few more minutes of his pacing went silently by.

My tone must have startled him since he jerked his head up and gave me the most concerned look I'd seen in a while. "What is it?"

I took a deep breath, held it for a few seconds and then blew it out. "While I was at Amelia's summer house, I met someone."

"What do you mean you met someone?" Sam asked although I was pretty sure he knew exactly what I meant.

"I met a guy. His name is Eric and we've been…well, we've only gone out on one date so far but I like him a lot. I'm seeing him again tomorrow night after I get back from dinner at Gran's. I don't know where it's going or what's going to happen, but I have a really good feeling about him. He's really sweet to me and the more I think about it, the more I realize I'm starting to fall for him."

"After only one date, Sookie?" Sam looked incredulous.

"We hung out a lot at Amelia's summer house. We talked and got to know each other a little. I think you'd like him a lot if you gave him a chance. He makes me happy, Sam, and I thought it was Eric calling earlier." I confessed.

"Oh," Sam looked damn near miserable.

"I'm sorry, Sam," I didn't know what else to say.

He gave me the saddest smile I'd ever scene and said, "I want you to be happy, Sook. You should be with someone who feels the same way as you."

"Yeah, and so should you," I gave him a teary eyed smile.

"Don't you start crying on me," he shook his head.

"I don't want you to be mad at me or think I'm going to abandon our friendship because I'm seeing someone. It's going to take some time to shuffle things around, and I can't promise things won't change, but Eric knows about you."

"You told him about me?"

"I found out from Claude that you just took off without a word to anyone. I was worried about you and Eric asked. He doesn't know everything yet, but he knows you're my friend and the situation you're in."

"Does he know how I feel about you?" Sam asked.

"No," I shook my head and rubbed my eyes. "I didn't think telling him that was a good idea. I wanted him to get to know you without any preconceived notions."

"You think he's going to have a problem with us being friends?" Sam was already getting defensive which was exactly what I didn't want.

"I don't know, Sam. Are _you_ going to have a problem with me dating him?" I charged right back.

"Just don't put him ahead of your friends," Sam shrugged.

"You mean don't put him ahead of _you_," I corrected.

Sam glared at me but I knew I was right. It was a difficult situation because there had to be a balance and it was going to take time to find it. There were times when I was going to have to put Eric first, just like there were times when I would have to put Sam or my family first. It didn't mean I loved one more than the other, or that I was picking favorites. But I couldn't tell Eric to go to the back of the line all the time just because he was the new guy in my life and everyone else felt like they had seniority over him. That wasn't fair to him.

"I just wanted you to hear this from me instead of someone at the restaurant or somewhere around town. And I want you to meet him. Not tomorrow, but soon. Your opinion matters to me, Sam," I assured him.

"Don't get upset if I can't be happy for you right away, okay?" Sam ran his hand through his hair.

"It's just going to take some time, but we'll figure all this out; I promise," I walked over to give him a hug, which he gladly accepted.

"He better treat you good or I'll break his neck," Sam threatened.

I smiled at that, knowing Sam wouldn't really do it but he'd be really pissed off on my behalf if I got hurt. "I don't think you need to worry about that, Sam. He's a good guy."

"I'll be the judge of that," Sam kissed my cheek and let me go. "I should be going. Tommy's been staying with one of the neighbors the last couple of days and I promised I'd pick him up tomorrow."

"Will you be at church in the morning?" I asked as I walked him to the door.

"I don't think so. Next week for sure I will be," Sam said as he stepped outside.

"How about supper at Gran's?"

"No, I'm going to spend the day with Tommy. I think we need a little time to ourselves to sort of figure out how things are going to work from now on. I have some decisions to make," Sam sighed and pulled his keys from his pocket.

"Yeah, you do," I agreed and leaned against the door frame. "Well, I'll be around until about seven tomorrow night. If you need me, just give me a call, okay?"

"Will do. G'night, Sookie," Sam waved at me.

"Night, Sam," I waved back and closed the door.

For as exhausted as I was, I was wide awake. I locked up, turned off the lights and went back upstairs. There was a text message from Eric with yet another sickeningly sweet message waiting for me.

_There's a star in the sky for every time I thought of you tonight. I'll see you tomorrow xoxo_

**o.O.o.O.o**

Church was the same as it always was. The chapel had been whitewashed within an inch of its life and the windows had been redone the year before, but it was still hotter than seemed possible in there. I fanned myself with the program we got at the start of every service, as did just about everyone else in attendance. After the service I signed myself up to run the dunk tank at the church's booth at the parish fair.

Gran signed herself up to make cobblers and pies for the bake sale. Daddy and Jason volunteered to help with the set up and take down. Crystal signed on to paint faces and my niece Sydney mostly blew spit bubbles and gurgled at everyone. She could be a little demon when she wanted to, but she had just enough sweetness in her giggle it was hard to believe she was capable of anything but being adorable.

Her eyes lit up like fireworks on the fourth of July when she saw me and she giggled her infectious baby giggle when I made faces at her. She tried to eat my necklace at least a half a dozen times before I gave up and slid the pendant around to the back of my neck where she couldn't get at it. I learned a long time ago not to wear hoop earrings around her because she considered them to be pull toys.

After church was over everyone went home to change out of their special Sunday clothes and get a little more casual. I traded in my sundress for a pair of cut-off jean shorts and a white tank top with an American flag across the chest. I had a bikini on underneath, figuring I'd end up in the baby pool with Syd like I had two weeks before. I packed something a bit fancier for meeting Eric later in case there wasn't time to run home and change, yet again, before going out.

Dad was already at Gran's by the time I got there and so was Terry Bellefleur. I was barely out of the car when the little monster who had claimed me nearly a week before came running up to greet me. I bent down to scoop him up and scratch between his ears. He licked at my face and neck, which really grossed me out, even if it was sweet.

"Alright, enough," I put him down on the ground and walked around to the back of the house where Dad and Terry were filling Syd's little pool.

"Heya, Terry," I waved as I stepped over to the porch with my little friend doing his best to stay right under my feet.

"Hiya, Sook. He missed you," Terry pointed to the dog.

"He's a cute little fella," I agreed and knew I was going to have to make a decision by the end of the day. "No, you stay out here," I pushed the dog back when he tried to follow me inside.

"I heard you've got a new friend," Gran said while she shucked corn.

I went to the sink and washed my hands and said, "He's cute but I'm not sure I want to keep him."

"I didn't mean the dog," Gran laughed and brought the large kettle of corn over.

"Daddy told you about Eric, huh?"

"He mentioned a little something is all. I was hoping you'd bring him around for supper tonight," Gran said as she started filling the kettle.

"It's a little early for that, Gran, but I promise I'll bring him around soon."

"Good girl," Gran patted my shoulder and without having to ask, I leaned over and got the sugar jar for her so she could throw in a few pinches with the corn. "You want to tell me about him before Jason gets here and starts the Inquisition?"

I rolled my eyes and said, "Jason can save it for Syd's boyfriends when she gets older."

Gran laughed loudly and shook her head. "You know he had a shotgun on the baby registry."

"Yeah, I remember," I laughed. "That's how come he ended up with that enormous super soaker."

The puppy was whimpering outside the kitchen door, scratching and begging to be let inside. "Looks like he found his human," Gran nodded toward the door.

"He's cute, but like I said, I'm not sure I want to keep him. I work strange hours and I'm not home very often. It wouldn't really be fair to the poor little guy. Puppies need full-time attention and I just don't have that much time to give to him," I told Gran with a shrug. "But maybe Tommy would like to have him."

"Run that by Terry. I'm sure he'd be okay with that," Gran smiled at me and then gestured for me to get the kettle of corn since it was too heavy for her to lift.

"So, come on, out with it. What's this new fella of yours like?" Gran asked and handed me a vegetable peeler for the potatoes.

Damn, and I thought I'd side stepped the question nicely. I should have known better where Gran was concerned. I started peeling potatoes and then I started talking.

* * *

><p><strong>So we've got Sam back. His reaction was pretty tame. Maybe a little <em>too<em> tame. We'll see how that pans out later. No Eric in this chapter except for the text message, but we'll get _plenty_ of him next chapter. *giggles* Plenty...gracious... never mind *clears gutter brain* If you haven't read it yet, there's a total lemonfest I posted yesterday called "Love With a Stranger," that's melting laptops, smart phones and panties all over the fandom. It's definitely NOT SAFE FOR WORK so if you haven't read it yet, I don't suggest you try to in an office environment.**

**Finally, *puts on pimp hat* I've been meaning to pimp "The Surrogate" by Miss Detra for a while now and I keep forgetting to do it because it seems if my brain isn't all over the porny side of life, it's full of holes. It's a great story and it's her first time out, so stop by and give her some love, will ya?**

**Thanks for reading!**


	12. Breakfast With You

**Hopefully whatever crawled in FFN's ass and died has been removed so I can get back to review responses with this chapter. However, I doubt this is the case. Hopefully you enjoy the chapter all the same.**

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><p><span>Chapter 12: Breakfast With You<span>

Since it actually cooled off a little after the sun went down Eric and I decided to spend the evening outside. Instead of going to see a movie we ended up going to play mini-golf. I pretended to be worse at it than I really was so Eric would stand behind me and help me line up my shots. When I had him right where I wanted him, I decided to make a bet.

"You want to make a bet?" Eric arched his eyebrow.

I nodded and said, "Yes, I do. I think I've got the hang of it now. Don't tell me you're scared I might beat you."

The taunting worked because he responded with, "If that's what you want. Name your terms."

"If I win, you have to tell me the stories behind every single one of your tattoos," I went with that since I was curious to know why he'd chosen the ones he did.

"Alright, that sounds fair," he nodded and started lining up his next shot. "And if I win?"

"If you win, I'll spend the night at your house," I smiled at him.

Eric looked up at me with that devilish glint in his eyes. "That's awfully vague, Sookie."

"I'll sleep in your bed with you but I make no further promises." That was all I was willing to commit to but it was enough for Eric.

"Deal," he extended a hand for me to shake on it and I did. "Although, if you want to spend the night with me you don't need to win a bet to do it."

"I know; it just seems like a good reward if you're the victor," I shrugged.

We were at the nine hole and I was down by five strokes. Little did Eric know I knew the rest of the course like the back of my own hand. I could make a hole in one pretty much anytime I wanted. The question was did I really want to win? I was pretty sure I could handle his gloating, and really, would I really lose if I lost the bet? I didn't think so.

Eric missed his first shot but got it on the second try. I, on the other hand, lined everything up properly and used just the right amount of power in my swing. The ball bounced off the side and rolled back to the hole. I pumped my fist in victory and smiled at Eric, who was looking at me suspiciously.

"Hole in one, huh?" he looked me up and down.

I shrugged and said, "You're a good teacher."

"Uh huh," he didn't seem to be buying it, but gestured for me to move on to the eleventh hole.

Three holes in one later, Eric was downright glaring at me. "What?" I asked innocently.

"I think you hustled me, Miss Stackhouse," Eric moved a little closer to me.

"Maybe," I shrugged and stepped out of the way so he could take his shot.

Finally at the eighteenth hole, we were all tied up. It took me three strokes to sink my ball, although whether I did it on purpose or not, I can't say. Eric made it in two, making him the winner of the game and our bet. He didn't gloat like I expected he would. In fact, he looked a little pissed off.

"Did you lose on purpose?" he asked me, clearly not okay with the idea of being the winner by default.

"No, I didn't lose on purpose," I told him.

"I like winning because I know I beat a competitor who was giving something their all," he said in a frustrated tone.

I moved closer to Eric and rested my hands on his chest. "Can I tell you a secret?" he nodded and I said, "I would have spent the night at your house either way."

"So then why the bet?" Eric asked me with an arched eyebrow.

"Because I was curious to see what kind of a winner you are," I smiled up at him.

"So this was a test?"

"Something like that. I think we're all competitive but some people are jerks about it and can't handle a loss. Turns out you're the kind who can't handle a win," I shook my head.

"I can handle a win when I'm sure it's a legitimate win but I'm not convinced that's what this was," Eric playfully slapped my ass as I walked away from him.

I yelped and turned said over my shoulder, "Does that mean you want to forfeit your prize?"

He caught up to me quickly and wrapped his arms around my shoulders. His lips were right by my ear when he said, "Oh, I'm holding you to it. You're mine now, lover."

**o.O.o.O.o**

The drive back to Eric's house was full of tension. By the time we pulled into his driveway my skin felt like it was electrified and the slightest touch from him nearly had me jumping out of my seat. From the looks on the outside, I liked his house. It was bigger than mine, but most houses were. He left his car parked in the driveway and went around to get my door for me like he always did. Getting out of the car in shorts was easier than it was a skirt.

We walked to his front door hand in hand with me trying to take in all the details I could about the property. His driveway was paved, for starters, which was a clear indication we were in Shreveport and not further out into the country. His lawn and bushes were expertly manicured and trimmed. The house itself was a split level with the first floor being brick and the second floor having what appeared to be a wooden exterior.

Eric showed me around the house and I was impressed by how neat and orderly it was. It was probably because of my brother and his friends that I was expecting the house to be a bit sloppier but I should have known better. I wouldn't say Eric was a neat freak but he was definitely more meticulous about things than the average bachelor. Still, I couldn't resist asking if _he_ cleaned his house or if he had a cleaning lady.

"I clean it myself, thank you very much, smarty pants," he pulled me tighter against him.

"That couch looks really comfortable," I pointed to the couch in the living room. It was an overstuffed leather couch that looked very heavy and masculine.

"It is. One day we'll take a nap on it," he promised me before we moved to the back of the house where the kitchen and dining room were.

The kitchen was like any other kitchen, except Gran would have had a field day with the duel wall ovens. Dad had been offering to remodel her old kitchen for years but Gran was set in her ways and used to her cantankerous old stove. According to Eric the floors had recently been replaced on the first floor since he despised carpet. He planned to rip out the carpet on the second floor before the summer was over.

Upstairs there was a second living room with less formal furniture and before I could stop myself I was diving onto the giant U-shaped couch. I felt like I was sinking into a cloud. That is, until I felt Eric sinking on top of me. Then I felt like I was being crushed by a Volkswagen. Eric attacked the back of my neck with kisses that were both playful and sloppy until I managed to wiggle out from under him.

"The tour isn't over yet," I said when he started pouting.

Quick as a cat he was on his feet again and leading me past the wet bar to the second floor balcony. His backyard was enormous and that was also when I realized he had a second garage.

"How many cars do you have?" I laughed and looked over my shoulder at him.

"That is a mechanic's garage. I'm rebuilding a Trans-Am back there," Eric told me.

"No way! Oh, you and my father are going to have so much to talk about," I laughed and hugged him before realizing what I just said. "I mean, you know, if you want to meet my dad."

"I don't think we're quite there just yet," Eric kissed the side of my head and led me back inside.

The house had four bedrooms total and Eric saved his bedroom for last. Much like the living room when we first walked into the house, the furniture in Eric's room was heavy and dark. His headboard was padded, which I had a feeling was going to save me a lot of headaches in the future. The walls were painted a warm shade of mocha and his bedding was chocolate brown with teal accents to keep it from getting too dark. There was a large mirror over his dresser and a flat screen TV was mounted on the wall across from his bed.

Sliding doors opened onto the patio we'd been standing on before and there was a pair of chaise lounges outside with a small table between them. There was an adjoining bathroom with a large whirlpool tub and a separate shower stall with enough room for at least three people, if he was so inclined to shower with that many at the same time. The carpet was definitely past its prime so I understood why he wanted to get rid of it. Otherwise, he'd done a fantastic job of making the house feel like a home. There was a definite theme throughout and it felt comfortable to me.

"What do you think? Eric's arms circled my waist and pulled me back to him.

"I think it's great," I smiled up at him. "I might need a step ladder to get into that bed though."

"I don't think so," Eric shook his head.

"You don't?"

"No," he said and before I knew I was being scooped up and tossed.

"Eric!" I squealed and landed with a bounce and a laugh.

"See? No step ladder," he grinned and pounced on me.

"You're such a goof," I continued to laugh as we play wrestled around on his bed.

As expected, I ended up pinned under him, although it wasn't for lack of trying to gain the upper hand. He had my hands over my head, holding them in place with just one of his own hands while the other was poised over my stomach, ready to do some serious tickling in order to get me to surrender and admit defeat. I wouldn't give in that easily, however, and the tickling resulted in me writhing under him trying to get free.

"Ohmygod, Eric, you have to stop or I'm going to pee," I managed to get out between giggles and squirms.

"Fine, but you should know there's a punishment for premature evacuation," Eric said and rolled off of me.

I scrambled off his bed and got all the way to the bathroom door before I said, "Way to steal a line from Reality Bites!"

"I didn't steal; I paraphrased," he shouted back when I closed the door.

I took care of business and washed my hands. There was a part of me that was tempted to look through his medicine cabinets but that scene in _Father of the Bride_ where Steve Martin breaks the bathroom mirror stopped me from doing just that. Not to mention, it wasn't really my business what he kept in his medicine cabinets. I dried my hands on the mossy green hand towels hanging from the rack next to the sink and returned to Eric's bedroom.

He was stretched out on his back with the TV turned on. I could see just a sliver of his stomach peaking out from under his t-shirt. I went around to the other side of his enormous bed since I wasn't brave enough to climb over him just yet, and settled onto the bed next to him. I curled on my side and rested my head on my arm. I didn't stay there for long, however, since Eric gathered me closer to him so my head was on his chest instead.

"So what, exactly, _is_ the punishment for premature evacuation?" I asked Eric while he continued to channel surf.

"You have to sleep naked," Eric said which got a big laugh out of me. "I'm serious."

"Not tonight, mister; you can put it on my tab," I wrapped an arm around his waist and let my fingers trail along his side.

He stopped surfing when he came to _The Crow_ and started to quietly recite the lines as they were being said in the movie. Jesus, how many times had he seen the movie anyway? I asked him that very question when the movie went to commercial.

"A few dozen. Have you seen it?" he asked while I flipped onto my stomach so I could look him in the eyes.

"Once probably like a decade ago," I shrugged.

"It's on my top ten list," Eric informed me with a kiss. "Which reminds me we never established what your favorite movie is?"

"_Breakfast at Tiffany's_," I said without hesitation. The look on his face told me he'd never seen it before. "We'll watch it together some time."

"Is it a chick flick?"

"I don't know," I thought about it for a moment. "There's a love story there but the movie is more about Holly Golightly figuring out who she is and where she belongs than anything."

We got quiet again when the movie came back from commercial. I tried to stay awake to watch the whole movie since I was enjoying what I was seeing, but I was so comfortable laying there with Eric and I hadn't gotten much sleep the night before on account of Sam's random late night visit. I had planned to talk to Eric about the visit. I wanted him to meet Sam soon and get that out of the way. After meeting Sam, meeting my father would be a piece of cake. Instead, I fell asleep shortly after eleven.

"Sookie," Eric whispered and gently shook me awake.

"Mmmm," I moaned and snuggled against him.

"Do you want a shirt to sleep in?" he asked.

"Comfy," I muttered, not really comprehending what he was saying.

I grumbled, however, when he slid out from under me, leaving me in the warm indent of where his body had been. I opened one eye just a sliver in time to see him pull a t-shirt from one of his drawers and bring it over to the bed for me. He leaned down and kissed the side of my head before disappearing into the bathroom.

I forced myself to sit up and trade in my tank top and shorts for one of his t-shirts. It was big enough that it hung all the way down to the middle of my thighs and I was thankful I'd selected boyshorts to wear earlier in the day. I left my bra on since I didn't feel comfortable taking it off, even if it wasn't the most comfortable thing to sleep in. I folded my clothes and put them on the edge of the dresser.

I got between the sheets and curled on my side again so my back was to the bathroom door, since my right side was getting a little numb from being laid on for so long. The alarm clock told me it was almost two in the morning and I was surprised Eric was throwing in the towel for the night. I found the perfect spot on his bed and let myself drift away. I vaguely remember Eric climbing into bed with me again and spooning me from behind before he kissed my neck and said goodnight.

After that, I was dead to the world.

**o.O.o.O.o**

I woke up in the same position I fell asleep, thanks in large part to Eric's death grip on me. Was he afraid I was going to take off in the middle of the night? Not only was he holding me tightly but it was obvious he was having some pretty good dreams based on the third leg that was pressed against my backside. I tried to pry his hands off of me but that didn't work out so well. In fact, the most I tried to get free, the tighter he held on.

"Eric," I practically whined after trying to get free for almost ten minutes without any success. I wiggled against him which only got him rubbing his lower half against me. "Eric!"

Nothing. Not a grunt, whimper and grumble of any kind to let me know he heard me. Since he seemed to be responding to sensation, I did the only thing I could think of. I reached behind me and pinched the back of his thigh. He roared and let me go, so I rolled away as fast as I could.

"What the fuck, Sookie?" he grumbled, his eyes as sleepy as his voice.

"Sorry, but you wouldn't let me go and I have to pee," I explained as I ran for the bathroom.

Eric was still pouting when I came out a few minutes later. I may have borrowed a little of his mouthwash as well, since I didn't want to be a total morning breath monster and I was pretty sure he was expecting me to make it up to him for the pinching. I didn't bother going around to the other side, instead opting to climb up on top of him. I sat on his thighs since that seemed like the safest option.

"I'm sorry I pinched you," I reached for his hands and laced my fingers through his.

"That wasn't at all how I thought we'd be waking up this morning," Eric said with a slight leer.

"I noticed," I looked down at the tent just a few inches in front of me.

"I wasn't expecting you to fuck me," Eric said bluntly and it may or may not have disappointed and calmed me at the same time.

"Oh," I said and got off of him.

"Where do you think you're going?" I found myself tackled underneath him, crushed against the mattress.

"I didn't want you to think I was expecting you to put out," I wiggled against him.

"Do that again," he whispered in my ear and I giggled.

Eric let me up just enough to turn over. Our eyes met and I smiled at him. "Good morning, Eric."

"Good morning, Sookie," he leaned down and kissed me.

It was the best way I'd woken up in a long time, although I wasn't so sure Eric would agree with that. We stayed in bed a while longer, snuggling and making out until my stomach started growling. Eric jumped out of bed and used the bathroom while I started straightening up. When he came out, I was about to put on my shorts since I didn't feel comfortable walking around his house in just a t-shirt. It would have been really awkward if someone just showed up out of the blue.

"What are you doing?" Eric looked at me like I had three heads.

"Getting dressed," I responded like it should have been obvious.

"I don't think so," Eric shook his head.

"I have to, Eric. I have to be at work at eleven and it's already 9," I nodded to the alarm clock.

"You're staying for breakfast and then I'll drive you home," he promised.

"Eric, that's really sweet of you but I have to go home and shower and-" he cut me off with a kiss that made my toes curl so I abandoned my argument. "Fine, you win."

"I love hearing those three words coming out of your mouth," he wiggled his eyebrows at me.

"I'm still getting dressed!" I told him as he headed downstairs to the kitchen.

At least I won that one.

By the time I got downstairs Eric already had bacon frying and a griddle heating up for pancakes. I offered to help but he wouldn't hear of it. He did, however, pick me up and set me on the counter so I could watch him cook. I was impressed, frankly, that he knew how. I figured having grown up bouncing from one boarding school to another and not really having much of a regular home life, he probably hadn't learned.

"Where did you learn how to cook?" I asked him while he waited to flip the pancakes.

"Helena taught me some, but mostly I learned while I was in Europe. I made friends with a few chefs and they let me watch them work. I had a girlfriend while I was in Italy and her mother was very nice to me," Eric leaned over and kissed me.

"Have you had a lot of girlfriends?" I asked as casually as I could.

"A few," he replied in his usual vague manner. "What about you?"

"I've had exactly one boyfriend that mattered," I set my hands on his, which were resting on my thighs. "Although that might be changing soon."

"Is he bigger than me? Can I take him?" Eric said completely deadpan and I laughed.

"He's about your size. He's a grouch first thing in the morning, so maybe if you catch him then, you'll have a better chance," I winked and got myself attacked in the neck area with kisses and nips. "The pancakes!"

"Shit," Eric muttered and spun around to flip them over. They were a little dark, but not inedible. "You distract me, woman."

"Yeah, and I've got clothes on," I slid off the counter. "Where are your plates and silverware? I'll set the table."

Eric showed me where everything was and told me to help myself to whatever I wanted to drink. What I wanted was coffee, and since he didn't have any in the house, we were going to need to make a stop on the way home. I wanted breakfast to last forever since being with Eric was far more appealing than going to work, but before I knew it we were in his car headed back to Bon Temps.

It was such a girlie thing, but I swear I was freakishly close to tears when I had to get out of the car. It was so stupid and I didn't even know why I was so sad all of a sudden. Maybe it was because when I was with Eric, it seemed like the rest of the world disappeared. I knew it wouldn't be like that forever, and I wanted to enjoy it for as long as I could. He walked me to my front door but I wouldn't let him come inside with me. I knew if he did, I wouldn't want him to leave. I'd call in sick at work, get back in his car and spend a second night in his bed.

"Call me later?" he tucked some of my hair behind my ear.

"Absolutely," I hugged him tightly; reluctant to let him go even though I knew I had to. "Text me something silly?"

"Always," he kissed the top of my head and wrapped his arms around me. Apparently I wasn't the only one who didn't want to let go. "How about you come over for dinner on Thursday? I'll cook."

I smiled up at him and said, "I'd love to."

He leaned down to kiss me and I was so incredibly close to telling him I changed my mind about work when my more responsible side took over and pulled away from him. Without a word Eric went back to his car and got in while I got the front door of my house open. I blew him a kiss and waved until he was gone before finally going inside to get ready for work.

I wasn't in love with him, but I was definitely falling for him.

* * *

><p><strong>Yeah, they're turning into that couple you want to smack because they're so cute with each other. I love it. If I can respond to reviews, I'll do teasers. Otherwise, you'll just have to wait until tomorrow to see what happens next. Thanks for reading!<strong>


	13. The Pros and Cons of Breathing

Chapter 13: The Pros and Cons of Breathing

"Hey Sook," Sam said when I walked into his office.

"Sookie!" Tommy jumped up from his spot on the floor where he was coloring and hugged me around my hips. "Where have you been?" he demanded.

"Yesterday was my day off, buddy," I ruffled his hair.

"When can I go to Gran's for dinner? Sam says we can go next week. Can we come?" Tommy asked excitedly.

"Of course you can. Gran will be happy to have more mouths to feed," I smiled at Sam.

Tommy let me go and returned to his spot on the floor. I put my purse where I usually did and grabbed a fresh apron. Sam was grumbling and whatnot over the books, as per usual. Tracking inventory and dealing with vendors was his least favorite part of running the business but it needed to be done. Mostly it bothered him because Lafayette tended to change his mind about specials at the last minute, and that meant changing around the orders Sam had to place.

"Need some help?" I offered Sam.

"No, I'm almost done. Laf better be sure about the menu because the order is going in at nine tomorrow morning," Sam muttered, knowing full well there would most likely be a last minute change.

"Well, I'll be on the floor if you need anything," I told Sam and then turned to head out to the serving area.

Mondays were usually slow at lunch time. Business picked up a little over the summertime but not by much. I was surprised to see Jason come in since he usually took leftovers from Sunday supper for lunch and ate with his crew. The second he caught my eye he made a beeline for me and dragged me around the corner toward the kitchen.

"Geez, Jase, what's wrong?" I asked while pulling my hand free.

"Crystal's about to lose her mind. Is there any way you could watch Syd for us tonight so I can take her out and get her away from the baby for a while?" Jason pleaded with me.

"Sure, I could do that. You didn't need to almost pull my arm out of the socket," I rubbed my wrist.

"Sorry," he apologized. "What time are you through here?"

"I get off at four but I have some errands to run so don't bring Syd by until closer to six," I warned him.

"You got it," he leaned forward and kissed my cheek. "Thank you, Sook! I owe you one!" Jason said and then ran off.

My cell phone buzzed in my apron pocket and I flipped my phone open to see a text message from Eric. I rolled my eyes and shook my head when I saw what he sent:

_Almonds are a member of the peach family. Silly enough for you?_

What a goof.

**o.O.o.O.o**

After my shift at the restaurant I ran to the grocery store to pick up fresh milk and bread, along with a few other things. I decided I'd make a banana cream pie to take to Eric's for desert on Thursday. I had just enough time to put my groceries away and take a quick shower before Jason and Crystal arrived with Sydney. My niece was about as adorable as they get and I loved spending time with her. Generally speaking she was a sweetheart of a baby but I knew teething was a real bear.

I was waiting on the front porch when they drove up. Crystal could be sweet when she wanted to, but she mostly kept to herself. I wasn't sure how I felt about her but that didn't really matter since Jason was crazy about her. I don't think he planned on being a daddy so soon, but that'll happen if you try your luck one too many times. Jason did the honorable thing by marrying Crystal but I wasn't convinced it was the right thing.

Jason got Syd out of her car seat and slung her diaper bag over his shoulder before heading up to the front porch. Syd kicked her chubby little legs in excitement when she saw me. Her bright blue eyes lit up and she squealed one of her cute little squeals. I reached out to take her from Jason and plastered kisses all over her face, making her squeal and giggle some more. Jason handed over the bag and started rattling off instructions.

"She ate about an hour ago so she'll be ready to eat in two hours. She goes to sleep at eight thirty. You can give her some of the baby Tylenol in there if she's fussy. If she won't go down easy, just sit on the swing with her for a while and sing that spider song; knocks her right out," Jason told me.

"Jase, this ain't my first rodeo," I smiled down at Syd and said, "You're going to be an angel for Aunt Sookie aren't you?" Syd squealed her response and blew a spit bubble at me. "See? We'll be fine. If you're gonna be later than midnight you call me."

"Yes, ma'am," Jason leaned forward to give Syd a kiss on her head and then backed down off the porch. "Thanks again, Sook!"

"No problem!" I called out and waved to Crystal, who looked extremely bored while waving back at me.

I brought Syd inside and already had a few toys I kept around my house for when she was over. Usually I'd go to Jason's to babysit since it was easier than packing up a bunch of stuff and lugging it across town. Since I didn't have a car seat we were going to be stuck close to home. Besides, it was hot outside and if I was uncomfortable, I imagined it wasn't much better for Syd.

All the same, she was mostly in a good mood. We sat on the couch together with her gurgling and sharing her little chew toys with me until she got fussy. I took her for a short walk around the block and by the time we got back it was time for her last feeding. I was just mixing up her cereal with a little watered down apple juice when my phone buzzed again.

_A cat has 32 muscles in each ear._

"Dork," I muttered and finished mixing the cereal.

Syd ended up wearing more of the mush than she did eating it, but at least she wasn't a fussy eater. It took longer to clean her up than it did to feed her and I managed to get a little of that baby Tylenol in her and her diaper changed before I gave her her last bottle of the night. I was sitting on the swing outside, rocking her gently when my phone buzzed again. This time it wasn't a text message, but a call from Eric.

"Hey," I whispered since Syd was on the verge of being asleep.

"Hey," he whispered back and then asked, "Why are we whispering?"

"Because I'm babysitting my niece and she's just about asleep. Can I call you back in a little bit?"

"Sure. Talk to you soon," he said and then hung up.

I closed the phone and set it off to the side. I stayed on the swing, rocking gently until the bottle was empty and I was sure Sydney was out cold. She had a tiny snore pattern that was too cute for words. I snuggled her close and carried her inside. After rearranging the throw pillows on the couch to make sure she wouldn't able to roll off by accident, I put her in the little well I'd created. She stretched out on her back and whimpered for a few seconds before settling herself.

I breathed a sigh of relief and then went to the kitchen to rinse out her bottle and wash her little baby dishes. When I got back to the living room, I peaked at her quickly before dashing outside to get my phone. There was a text from Jason, checking in to make sure Syd was doing okay and I sent a message back to let him know everything was fine. He followed up with another message to let me know he and Crystal were seeing a movie and would be picking Syd up before midnight.

I dialed Eric's number and then headed back into the house. He picked up on the fourth ring. "Hi," he said quietly.

"Hi," I spoke at normal volume. "She's asleep."

"Good. I didn't know you had a niece."

"I do. She's almost five months old and she's the cutest baby ever," I was totally bragging and I didn't care at all.

"Ever, huh?"

I managed to stop myself from saying, "Until _we_ have a baby," and said a quick prayer to God for not letting my brain filter malfunction just then. "Yes, ever," I stood by my statement.

I was thankful Eric didn't decide to turn the conversation into one about having kids in the future. It was way too soon to be having that talk and even though I knew I wanted them, I didn't want to freak him out and make him think I was in the market for a baby daddy in the near future. I had mixed feelings where marriage was concerned. I tended to be of the opinion that if your relationship was working just fine without it, then marriage wasn't really necessary. I sometimes thought the entire concept of marriage put too much pressure on a relationship to work in the long run.

But we stayed away from the heavier topics and instead he asked me what sort of foods I liked so we would be able to shop for dinner on Thursday. Eric had a much more highly evolved pallet than I did. I grew up on southern staples and lots of Creole cooking. Saturday mornings were my favorite when I was little because it meant Dad was making cheesy grits and I loved those more than just about anything. Well, except Gran's peach cobbler.

I was willing to expand my horizons and try some new things. "Just don't get too crazy on me, okay? A little goes a long way with me," I told Eric.

"I'll keep that in mind. You aren't allergic to anything are you?" he asked.

"Not that I know of, no. Although I'm not really crazy about mushrooms. I know they add flavor but the texture is just…ew," I shivered at the thought of it. It was bizarre to me how they were slimy, rubbery and spongy all at once.

"So then no stuffed mushrooms for you?"

"Only if you're expecting me to throw them at you or put them directly down your garbage disposal."

"I bet I can change your mind about mushrooms," Eric said.

"Oh, I don't think so," I argued.

"You ate sushi," he pointed out with smugness in his voice.

"I said I wouldn't eat raw fish and I didn't."

"But you still ate it when I'm willing to bet the whole way to the restaurant you were thinking there was no way in hell you were going to eat sushi. You never know what you might like until you try it, Sookie."

I knew he was right but I wasn't willing to cave. I maintained my stubbornness until Syd suddenly woke herself up and started wailing, forcing me off the phone. I promised Eric I would text him before I went to bed and then hung up. I reached over and lifted Syd gently from where she was sleeping and cradled her in my arms. She fussed until I repositioned her so her head was over my heart. I walked around my living room, patting and rubbing her back until she settled down again.

The second I sat down, she started fussing again so I spent about an hour walking around my house until Syd was really asleep again. Thankfully, Jason showed up a short time later. I worried about putting Syd in her car seat without waking her but I knew she fell asleep easily in the car.

"How was she?" Jason whispered when he walked into the house.

"Okay, for the most part. She got a little fussy on me for a while but she's been okay for the last half hour or so," I told him.

He looked confused and said, "But it's after eleven."

"I know that, Jason, but she fussed," I tried not to raise my voice. "Where's Crystal?"

"Home. She wasn't feeling well after the movie so I dropped her off first before coming here," Jason looked like there was something he was holding back but I knew better than to go sticking my nose in my brother's love life.

Chances were I didn't really want to know what the problem in their marriage was anyway. All the same, Jason was lingering around the house like he wanted to talk and I just didn't have it in me to be as insensitive to him as he usually was to me. Usually my brother was too busy dealing with his own nonsense to be very concerned about what was happening in anyone else's life. With Jason it was easy to assume he wasn't all there mentally speaking, thanks to the many goofball things he did over the course of his life. I honestly thought there had to be squirrels in there running on a wheel sometimes.

But there were other times when Jason would focus is attention on something other than a ding on his truck or how long a woman's legs were, and he'd actually have something of value to say. He was capable of stringing along intelligent thought when he wanted to. The problem, as I saw it was, he was content to be the town pretty boy. Even more than that, no one ever really demanded he be anything more than that. Even Dad, to some extent, had thrown his hands up and decided Jason was Jason and there was no changing that.

"Something you wanna talk about?" I asked him while I packed Syd's stuff.

"Nah, I'm alright," Jason said like he was doing his best Eyore impression.

"Jason, you realize I know when you're not yourself, right? I mean, I didn't just meet ya last week."

"I'm worried about Crystal. She's been in such a bad mood ever since Syd was born," Jason rubbed his daughter's back. "I know there's that post portal depression stuff-"

"Post _partum_ depression," I corrected him.

"Yeah, that," he nodded and sat down in the EZ chair in the corner. "She says she ain't depressed, but she don't ever seem to want to leave the house. When she was pregnant, she was goin' out to Hot Shot at least once a week to see her family and she ain't been there since Easter now and that's only 'cause Calvin put together a basket for Syd. I don't know what to do. I bring her flowers, help clean the house, get up with Syd and nothin' seems to be helpin'."

Jason was doing housework? If Gran were dead she'd be spinning in her grave at that. As it was, I didn't think Jason knew how to do housework. He sure always played dumb around Dad's house when we were younger. Him moving out was a huge relief to both Dad and me.

"So you thought taking her out would help," I curled up on the couch after putting the pillows back where they belonged.

"Yeah, I thought a night without the baby cryin' or grabbin' on her would do some good, but I think it just made things worse," Jason shifted uncomfortably in the chair.

"I don't know what to tell you, Jase. Crystal's never really been an open book and I don't know her all that well. Have you tried talking to her about what's going on?"

"I tried but she keeps telling she's fine. I know she ain't never been the life of the party type—that's always been my job- but she ain't usually so withdrawn either," Jason explained.

"Maybe it's just stress from all those big changes at one time. I mean, she moved away from her family, got married and had a baby pretty quick. Maybe it's just really overwhelming for her," I shrugged.

"Yeah…yeah, maybe that's it," Jason sounded like he was convinced there was something else he was missing.

"Keep taking her out once a week and see if that doesn't help. You know Dad and Gran love spending time with Syd and they'd be happy to help you just like I would. Don't be afraid to say something if you think you're drowning."

He sighed and kissed Syd's head before getting up. I walked out of the house with him, carrying the diaper bag. He managed to get Syd in her car seat without waking her. I handed over the diaper bag and was surprised when Jason hugged me for the second time in less than a month. Apparently being a father brought out his more affectionate side.

"Thanks, Sook, I appreciate all you done tonight," he squeezed me tight.

"It's much easier to do you favors when you say please and thank you," I told him before letting go.

"I know I'm a prick sometimes," he admitted, which was also a surprise to me. "But I'm trying to do better now. Someday my baby girl's gonna wanna find a man of her own and I want to make sure no one ever measures up to the example I set for her."

See what I mean about those deep thoughts? They're in there; they just get buried under all those squirrel raisins.

"Have a safe drive home, Jase. Call me if you need anything," I stepped back from the car and waved as Jason pulled out of the driveway.

I went around and watered my flowers really quick before heading inside to text Eric like I promised I would.

* * *

><p><strong>It wasn't at all on purpose, but this chapter is right on time for Father's Day. I doubt there are any fathers reading this, but if there are, happy father's day to you! And, to you single moms who have to do double duty, happy father's day to you as well. I'm still having issues with responding to reviews, so I'm not going to promise teasers this time, but reviews are still lovely. Thanks for reading!<strong>


	14. No One Needs to Know

**Happy Monday baby birds! To help you transition back into the evil work week, I may or may not have some lemon zest for you below. *runs away giggling***

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 14: No One Needs to Know<span>

Eric was waiting for me in the parking lot at Merlotte's when I got out of work on Wednesday night. I wasn't expecting to see him there but I was definitely happy to see him. I refrained from taking a flying leap at him like I wanted to. Instead I walked right into his open arms and let the hug engulf me. I breathed in the smell of him and felt an awful lot of my tension melt away.

"What are you doing here?" I smiled up at him and he kissed me before I answered.

"I wanted to surprise you. I thought maybe you'd be willing to come sleep in my bed again," he rubbed my shoulders.

"Mmm keep that up and I won't be able to say no," I closed my eyes and let my head sink forward against his chest.

"I can do that," he kissed my head.

We just stood there for a few seconds before I pulled back and said, "I need to stop at home and get a few things. Should I just meet you back at your house, or do you want to follow me?"

He was about to answer when Sam came out of the restaurant and stopped dead in his tracks. Eric didn't notice Sam and said, "I'll follow you."

"Sounds good," I smiled up at him before turning in Sam's direction and saying, "Everything okay, Sam?"

Sam shook himself out of whatever trance he was in and slowly made his way toward Eric and me. "Fine. Is this the new guy?"

Eric put his arm around me and said, "I hope so."

"Sam, this is Eric. Eric, this is my friend _and_ boss, Sam Merlotte," I gestured between them.

"Nice to meet you," Sam said and held out his hand to Eric.

"Likewise. Sookie's told me a lot about you," Eric said politely.

"All good, I hope," Sam laughed nervously.

Eric nodded and said, "She says you're the best boss she's ever had."

Sam looked slightly affronted by that before answering with, "I'm the only boss she's ever had."

"I'll give you two a minute. I'll meet you at your place," Eric kissed my head again and said, "It was nice meeting you, Sam. I'm sure I'll see you again."

"Yeah," Sam watched as Eric walked away. "So that's Eric…"

"Yep, that's him," I smiled in Eric's direction.

"He's not very chatty, is he?"

"He is with me," I shrugged. "I wasn't expecting him to show up here tonight. I was hoping you two would meet under other circumstances."

"It was going to happen one way or another."

"Yeah, but I want you guys to get along," I stuffed my hands in my pockets. "Maybe we can have dinner together next week?"

"Yeah, maybe," Sam didn't sound too enthusiastic about the idea. "I have to find a regular sitter for Tommy. The Hamby's next door to my Mom's house have been pretty cool about keeping Tommy for me but I don't know if they want him over there that often."

"What are you going to do with the house?" I couldn't imagine living there after what happened but the choice was up to Sam.

"I'll probably move in there. Tommy's got enough change to deal with and he doesn't seem to mind being there. He won't go in Mom's room, but I don't really like going in there either. I told him he could pick new paint for his room if he wanted to and he's really into green right now instead of that baby blue color Mom painted it when she was pregnant with him. He's been having nightmares though, so I'm thinking he needs to keep going to see that therapist even if he says he doesn't like it." Sam sighed and rubbed his neck.

"Maybe he just doesn't like that particular therapist?" I suggested.

"Could be," Sam leaned against my car. "The whole thing is just…"

"It's a lot to take in, Sam. You both just need time to adjust to the changes. Have you heard anything about Joe or what's happening with the trial?"

"He's been formally charged but the trial won't be starting for months. They're still gathering evidence and getting their witnesses in order and all that stuff. I'm sure the ADA will be calling to talk to you."

"Sam, you know I'll be happy to do what I can but I don't really know all that much about what was going on. I mean, I know Joe got violent sometimes but I wasn't there to witness it myself."

Not that I thought it was going to take some huge amount of eye witness testimony to convict Joe, but I didn't want Sam to get his hopes up just on the chance Joe was able to find a really good criminal defense lawyer who could find loopholes for Joe to wiggle through. I was also worried about whether or not they would be calling Tommy as a witness. All my years of watching Law & Order and other court shows taught me children typically weren't ideal witnesses, especially really young ones like Tommy.

I was willing to bet just about anything a defense lawyer would argue that Tommy's memory had been fooled with and he wasn't really remembering the facts, but what someone had planted in his impressionable young mind. It was all horse feathers, as my Gran would say, but it was still an argument that was likely to be made. Besides, Sam would never be cruel enough to torment Tommy with those kinds of images intentionally. It seemed to me Tommy was pretty stressed out over the whole thing, even if he didn't show it in his waking hours. I worried for both of them.

"Just tell 'em what you can," Sam sighed and straightened up. "I gotta get over to the Hamby's. See you Friday?"

"Yep, I'll be here. Call me if you need anything," I called after him and then got in my car.

**o.O.o.O.o**

Eric offered to drive me back to his house and I might have taken him up on it if it weren't so far away. I wanted to have my car with me in case I needed to leave for some reason. Between Sam having the troubles he was, and Jason having trouble with Crystal, I wouldn't be surprised if I got a call from at least one of them asking for help. I tried to follow behind Eric but I definitely didn't have his led foot, so he lost me about three miles after we got on the highway.

I had to call him when I was getting off the highway so he could tell me where to go from there since we'd taken a different way when we came back from mini golf a few nights before. Eric was waiting in his driveway for me when I pulled up. I stopped the car and he came over to the driver's side window to tell me to pull around and park in the garage.

"The gardeners are here tomorrow and I don't want them to scratch up your car by accident," Eric winked and then backed up.

I pulled into the garage next to his Corvette and rolled up my window. After cutting the engine I grabbed my purse and overnight bag I'd packed at home. I had enough clothes in there to get me through Friday just in case I ended up staying the next night, too. I couldn't really blame Eric for not wanting to stay at my house. It was sticky as a cinnamon roll outside and I didn't have air conditioning. My bed was also big enough for me, but Eric was a borderline giant. Even lying across it diagonally, I was pretty sure his feet would hang off the end.

I breathed a sigh of relief when I walked to his house to discover the air conditioning was on and working very well. I was also glad I had packed a hoodie since Eric didn't get cold as easily as I did. Not that I would turn down snuggles if they were offered. I left my bag at the foot of the stairs and kicked off my shoes. My feet were definitely happy to be out of the sneakers I'd been wearing almost all day.

I had a pair of flip-flops in my bag in case we went out during the day. "Oh shit," I muttered, remembering the banana cream pie I had planned on making early the next day before heading over to Eric's.

"What's wrong?" Eric wrapped his arms around me.

"I was going to make dessert for tomorrow night," I pouted.

"You don't need to do that," he scooped me up quickly and brought me into the living room.

"I know but I wanted to," I said as he sat down on the couch with me in his lap. "My Gran always said it was rude to show up somewhere empty handed."

"But you didn't show up empty handed. You showed up with clothes for the next day. In that case, I would have preferred you show up empty handed," he smirked at me.

"Yeah, I bet you would," I shifted in his lap so I was straddling him. I held his face in my hands and said, "I like you a lot, Eric. I like where this is going and I like that you're always surprising me with these little things you say or do. I like that you're different from all the guys I know. I like that I don't know everything about you. It has been so much fun learning all these little pieces of who you are and seeing how they fit together to make this amazing person who is constantly making me smile and forget all the things I have to be worried over or sad about. And I have no doubt that when the time is right, sex is going to be amazing because just the idea of you kissing me right now makes my heart go crazy fast. I'm just not ready for it yet and I don't want to rush into it just because."

"I don't want you to rush into it just because," Eric's hands rested on my hips. "And I know we haven't talked about it but I want you to know you're the only one I'm seeing. You're the only one I want to see."

My heart swelled quite a bit at his confession and I said, "You're the only one I'm seeing, too."

"Good. I was worried I was going to have to kick that grouchy guy's ass," Eric smiled at me.

"Oh, well, you might still have to. He's a real persistent, that guy."

"Next time he gives you attitude you come see me. I'll straighten him out," Eric promised and wrapped his arms around my waist, crushing me to him.

"Yessir," I hugged him around his neck and wasn't at all prepared for the tickling I was about to get.

Playing around turned into me being pinned again, followed my some serious making out. It felt good to get my feelings off my chest and it felt even better to know we were seeing each other exclusively. I knew I was going to have to tell him more about my relationship with Sam so he knew exactly what the deal was, and why Sam could be a little standoffish sometimes. I really did want the two of them to get along and I was worried Sam's feelings for me might cause a problem.

I really hoped it didn't come down to me making a choice between Eric and Sam. My sense of loyalty would demand I pick Sam but my heart was going to be a big factor and it was clearly in favor of Eric. I wanted to believe there was more than enough room in my life for both Sam _and_ Eric. Ideally, Sam would move on to someone else so he and Eric could be friends. Being that I was capable of being a great big pain in the ass, Sam could be a great ally for Eric at times. Only I had a feeling it wasn't going to be that easy.

Eric's hand snaking up my shirt brought me out of my other thoughts and back into the moment with him. He pushed the lacy cups of my bra out of the way and his fingers expertly pinched and twisted with just the right amount of pressure to make my hips rock up against his. I could feel his considerable erection straining against his jeans and there was definitely temptation to pop the fly of his jeans and do a little experimenting of my own, but I didn't. I was serious about not wanting to move too fast.

When he tried to pull my shirt off, I knew it was time to back off for a little while. I pushed him back gently and said, "We need to slow down a little."

"Are you sure?" he kissed that special spot on my neck and while my body was screaming no, my mouth said, "Yes, I'm sure."

He deflated a little but pulled back. I started to apologize but he stopped me. "Sookie, it's okay. You don't need to apologize."

"I just don't want you to think I don't want you, because I do," I sat up with him.

"I know. We'll go at your pace; it's really okay with me," he put his arm around my shoulders and hugged me tightly to him.

"Thank you for being patient with me," I whispered and closed my eyes while listening to the thudding of his heart in his chest.

**o.O.o.O.o**

As good of a spooner as Eric was, I made sure we didn't fall asleep that way. I didn't want to have to pinch him in order to get up the following morning. It wasn't the least bit lost on me that I seemed to sleep better when I was with him. I woke up in the morning smelling just like him and I spent a few minutes watching him sleep before my bladder decided it was time to get up and take care of business.

I brought a toothbrush with me, but Eric had surprised me with a new one the night before when we were getting ready for bed. It was hot pink and bright yellow and a total contrast to Eric's navy blue and lime green toothbrush. Even better, I noticed there was a second towel hanging in the bathroom that hadn't been there the last time I spent the night at his house. Come to think of it, it hadn't been there the night before when we were brushing our teeth before bed.

Maybe it was silly but it made me happy to see these little concessions of being a couple popping up around his house. That annoying, nagging little voice in my head started to ask how many other women he'd made these concessions for. I knew about the girlfriend in Italy, but there had to be more ghosts of girlfriends past lurking somewhere. I hated that little voice but it got louder and louder, the more I tried to ignore its presence.

I finished up in the bathroom and quietly slipped back into bed, thankful to be rid of the morning breath monster. I snuggled against Eric's side and let my eyes close. I breathed deeply and felt myself starting to get relaxed. I was on the verge of falling asleep when I felt Eric's fingers in my hair, twirling it softly. I smiled against his bare chest and turned my face up toward his.

"Good morning," I murmured and stretched up to kiss him.

"No fair; you brushed," he smiled lazily at me.

"If you want I can wake you up tomorrow and let you have the honors," I giggled quietly and he wrapped his arms tightly around me.

"Nope, I like waking up just like this, bad breath and all," he kissed my forehead.

"This is pretty nice," I agreed and ran my hand up and down his stomach.

He groaned and rolled us over so he was on top of me, bracing most of his weight on his elbows. "You know what would make this better?"

"I'm not getting naked," I said as my hands settled at his sides.

"Well, that would be nice, too, but I was thinking more along the lines of breakfast cooking itself so we don't have to get up," he leaned in and kissed me, morning breath and all and I didn't care.

"That would be nice," I agreed while his lips went to work on my neck.

Amelia was always telling me that kissing was an indication of what sex would be like and if that was true, then I was in big trouble whenever Eric and I finally had sex. There was the very curious (horny) part of me that wanted to just do it and stop torturing myself. What was I really waiting for anyway? _No, it's too soon_, I mentally slapped that other voice down. There were so many things I wanted to know about him and I was afraid if I gave in to the sex too soon, the rest of the relationship would be overshadowed by it.

When Eric's hand snaked up my shirt again, I didn't push him away. I thought about that toothbrush and the spare towel in his bathroom and I figured if he could do a little thing like that, then letting him have second base was acceptable. Progression was good. When I did push him back it was so I could sit up and take off my shirt. The look on his face was priceless and one I knew I would never forget.

"From now on you don't wear a shirt when you sleep in my bed," Eric stared at my chest like it was the first pair of breasts he'd ever seen.

It would have been pervy if it wasn't so amusing. I pulled him down with me and went back to kissing for a while. Eric wasted very little time in getting acquainted with what I was sure were his new best friends. Not that I was complaining, mind you, because I couldn't recall my body responding the same way when it had been Bill I was with, but I didn't quite understand the fascination. Then again, I had to haul the girls around all day long and could see them pretty much anytime I wanted to. I knew it was a guy thing, but I didn't get it.

What I _did_ get was Eric rubbing up against me in just the right way to practically soak my panties and make me want to abandon my whole plan of getting to know each other better first. Even though my head was still on board with the plan, my body had other ideas since it was definitely rocking a counter rhythm to the one Eric had started. It definitely wasn't sex but it was the closest I'd gotten to it in a very long time and it felt amazing. At the rate things were going, I might legitimately explode when we had actual sex.

I felt Eric's fingers at the waist of my panties and I was so tempted to let him keep going but instead I pushed for him to turn onto his back. I climbed on top of him and put his hands on my hips to keep them occupied. He sat up and wrapped an arm around my waist so he'd have a free hand. That one hand managed to feel like twenty with how quickly it moved. One minute it was in my hair, tugging gently and turning my head wear he wanted it. Then it was on my throat so his fingers there trailing along my sensitive skin and waking up whatever cells in my body had managed to remain comatose through everything. Then it was on my breasts, one at a time, teasing, pinching and trailing around my back before sliding down to find my ass.

All the while my hips kept rocking against his and it only could have been instinct that told Eric I was close to having an orgasm since I'd never had one in his presence before. He nibbled at the shell of my ear and pulled my hair away from the side of my neck, kissing all over that area before whispering in my ear, "Cum for me, lover."

I moaned loudly and then cried out when his hips thrust up a little harder than before. Blinding white light overtook my vision and I probably nearly choked him out with the arm that was around his neck. He growled as he found his own release and when we collapsed in a heap he rolled us over again so his head was resting on one of his new pals. My fingers ran through his hair while he held my other hand close to his mouth to kiss each of my knuckles.

"I was wrong. _That_ is the way I want to wake up with you from now on," he kissed the flushed skin between my breasts.

I was still trying to suck air into my lungs and recover from the seismic waves of pleasure that had rocked through me just seconds before. Just as it had been three days before, it was the growling of my stomach that forced us out of bed. Eric went to shower, having made quite a mess of himself that he blamed on me. I was more than happy to take credit for it.

After a quick trip to the bathroom down the hall, I went downstairs to get started on breakfast. I stopped short when I noticed a brand new coffeemaker sitting on the counter, still in its box, along with a bag of coffee beans and a grinder. I melted a little at the thought he put into what he'd done, probably thinking it was no big deal. At least, I wanted to believe he thought it was no big deal.

I was reading the instructions on how to work the high end machine when Eric came downstairs in fresh clothes and his hair still damp. "I see you found your other present."

"You didn't have to do this," I slid off the stool at the breakfast bar and wrapped my arms around his waist. "But I love it. Thank you."

"You're welcome," he kissed me softly, squeezed me back and then went to the fridge. "So, Sookie, how do you like your eggs?"

* * *

><p><strong>Right, so now we have zest! The will power on this girl is just amazing, but all good things to those who wait. And believe me, the wait won't be too much longer. I laugh out loud at the reviews and PMs where people ask me not to let the cockblocking go on forever like in fanfic wife's story. Trust me, it won't be that long. I'm not that evil. Well, okay, I <em>am<em>, but I still won't make you wait that long. It's coming-no pun intended- very soon. Thanks for reading!**


	15. Chicken Fried

Chapter 15: Chicken Fried

Eric agreed to come to Gran's for Sunday supper, which was a huge deal for me. I had been dating Bill for months before I brought him around my family. There was that part of me that kept warning it was too soon, but I wanted the people I loved most to be as crazy about Eric as I was. After having spent just those few nights at his house, I knew I was a goner.

We spent a lot of time just talking and the conversations were comfortable. He opened up to me more about his past and explained how he had come to end up working for Felipe de Castro. I knew the name from the news but I didn't realize, until I did some Googling, just how bad of a guy he really was. Felipe was the kind of guy who never really got his own hands dirty, but he definitely had blood on them.

Victor Madden, it seemed, was the real threat in that entire operation. According to Eric, he had gotten out of the business when Victor started talking about a takeover, and offing the big boss. Eric knew it was far too risky. Victor's arrogance and thirst for power were what made him so incredibly dangerous. Felipe was the kind of guy who might not look like he was paying attention, but he missed nothing. Victor should have known that better than anyone, but his flaws had a way of clouding his judgment.

When the underground started to rumble with whispers of a war between Victor and Felipe, Eric knew it was time to bow out. He had no intention of being a casualty of said war. While the spoils of his job could be great, at times, it wasn't worth dying for. Apparently, he hadn't ever put much thought into the very real possibility someone could just kill him at any time. His line of work wasn't for the faint of heart, that's for sure.

In some respects, I still had a hard time understanding how Eric could have let himself get dragged into all of it anyway. He was so smart and had so many interests in life; I didn't quite get how he'd spiraled down enough to get pulled into that dark and violent world. He explained it as being in the wrong place at the wrong time, with the mentality of wanting to get back at his father for being such an insensitive and uncaring prick for the better part of his life.

It was one hell of a way to get revenge, I'd give him that. Between my brother and my father, I'd seen enough of _The Sopranos_ and _The Godfather_ to understand the way things worked. People who tried to scam the mob out of money ended up paying for it one way or another. Finding out that Eric was the one who made sure people paid up their debts was hard to process. The Eric I knew wasn't violent or scary at all.

Sure his size was intimidating but he had never come across as at all threatening to me. I felt safe with him. Still, there was the little voice in my head that told me to watch out. While it seemed as though Eric had made his peace with his past, who was to say he wouldn't flip out? Of course, that wasn't really fair. Anyone could lose it every once in a while if given the proper motivation.

I warned him that my father, brother and Gran were going to ask about a million questions between them. I also warned that Jason had no sense of what was his business and what wasn't. Boundaries definitely weren't Jason's strong suit. Dad would ask silly riddles. I had no idea why he liked doing that, but he did. He was a strange man. Gran would mostly be checking to make sure Eric had good manners and proper etiquette.

I didn't even change out of my church dress after the service was over. Instead, I drove Gran back to her house and got to work, helping her with supper. Gran loaned me an apron to put on over my pretty ivory dress with pink roses on it. Amelia hated the dress and said the pattern was meant for a bedspread and not a dress, but what did she know? Amelia was happy wearing hemp pants, for crying out loud. I did, however, exchange my peep toe pumps for a pair of ivory ballet flats that were much more comfortable.

I moved around the kitchen expertly, having helped Gran make meals hundreds of times in the past. It was because of her that I knew how to cook. She set me to work mixing together the biscuit dough while she did the other little prep work and got her chicken out of the fridge. It had been soaking in buttermilk since at _least_ the night before so it would be tender and have a bit of a tang to it.

After getting the biscuits cut and lined on a pan, I started snapping green beans and got the collard greens started. I wasn't a big fan of the greens myself, but Gran loved them. Gran was giving me the third degree about Eric when Sam and Tommy arrived. I had completely forgotten they were coming for dinner as well.

Like he did anytime he came for supper, Sam brought Gran a bouquet of sunflowers. It didn't matter if it was the middle of summer, or the coldest Sunday of the winter, he always brought her sunflowers. While Sam and I went to find a vase, Tommy put on the little apron Gran had left over from when Jason and I were kids, and he started helping her put together the crumble topping for her peach cobbler.

"You look pretty today, Sook," Sam said while I reached up on a high shelf in the dining room for a vase.

"Thanks," I said over my shoulder with a small smile. "I'm glad you and Tommy could make it for supper."

"Are you kidding me? Tommy's been reminding me since he saw you on Monday. I think he'd move in here with your Gran if she let him," Sam sighed heavily. "I'm not sure I'm doing so well with this parenting stuff. He asks all these questions and he gets ticked off when I have to be his dad instead of his big brother."

"That's normal, Sam. He's always looked up to you so at least you've got that going in your favor. The only difference now is that your word is law and if he doesn't like it, that's just too bad. You aren't going to do everything the exact same as your mom did and it's going to take time for Tommy to get used to that. You should talk to my dad. He's pretty much an authority on raising a little boy who suddenly lost his mother," I reminded Sam.

"Yeah, yeah, you're right. I don't know why I didn't think of that," Sam shook his head.

"You've got a lot on your mind. Don't beat yourself up too much, Sam," I patted his shoulder and started for the kitchen.

"Sook, hang on a second," he reached out and grabbed my hand to stop me.

"What's wrong?" I asked when I spun around.

"Portia wants to meet with me tomorrow. She found some things while she was going through a bunch of papers the police took when they searched the house for evidence," Sam told me. Portia Bellefleur was the ADA in charge of Marjorie's case.

"What'd they find?"

"I don't know," he shrugged, but looked nervous. "She wouldn't tell me over the phone. She just said she needs to see me in person."

"Well, I would think she just wants clarification on something. I'm sure it's not a big deal."

"Yeah, you're probably right," Sam nodded but he didn't seem convinced.

Then there was the rumble of Eric's car in the driveway. I nearly dropped the vase and instead handed it over to Sam. "Will you give this to Gran? That's Eric you hear."

"Eric's coming for supper?" Sam arched an eyebrow.

"Yes, so please, _please_, be nice," I begged.

"Why wouldn't I be nice?" Sam tried to sound innocent but I could see that devilish look in his eyes.

"Okay, fine, then just try not to enjoy him being in the hot seat too much. He really is a great guy and I don't want all you crazies scaring him off," I pushed Sam toward the kitchen.

"Oh, you must like him," Sam teased.

"You shush! Go give Gran that vase!" I pushed again and then made a beeline for the front door.

I stepped outside just as Eric was parking the car. It just so happened, Dad chose that exact same time to turn onto Gran's driveway. I stepped down from the porch and waited patiently for Eric to step out of the car. My father's face, as he drove up, was priceless. I hadn't even thought about the fact that Dad was into cars, and would probably have a field day going over every square inch of Eric's Corvette.

"Hey gorgeous," Eric said when he unfolded himself from the car.

"Hey yourself," I smiled back at him, fully approving of his wardrobe choice of his usual jeans but with a button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up instead of his usual v-neck t-shirts. Any other day, the v-neck shirt would have been just fine. I told him dinner was casual, but I liked that he took it upon himself to be a little fancier than he normally would have been. "You look pretty today," I teased him and kissed his cheek.

"This old thing?" he mocked, pulling the shirt away from his chest and then leaned down to give me a proper kiss.

"You know, as good as it looks on you, I'm sure it looks better on the floor," I whispered in his ear, earning me one of those barking belly laughs that I loved hearing.

"Now why is it that when _you_ say that it's hot, but if I say that, it's pervy?" Eric hugged me to him.

"Because I'm cuter than you," I scrunched my nose at him.

"Good answer," he kissed my forehead.

"Sookie, are you going to introduce me to the young man that's clutching on you?" Dad asked as he approached us.

"Gran would skin me alive if I didn't," I stepped closer to Eric and introduced him to my father.

"It's nice to meet you, sir," Eric said respectfully.

"Likewise. It's not often Sookie brings her fellas around for supper," Dad was trying to embarrass me. I could see it in the evil gleam in his eye.

"Dad, you know I don't have fellas," I glared at him.

"You better not anymore," Eric hugged me to him.

"You two stay out here and talk about your cars. I'll be inside helping Gran in the kitchen," I shook my head at them and headed inside.

"Oh, Sookie, hang on!" Eric called out to me and went around to the passenger's side of the car. He pulled two bouquets of flowers from the front seat. "These are for your Gran," he handed over a bunch of pale pink and buttery yellow Peonies. "And these are for you," he handed me the second bunch of flowers that matched my dress almost perfectly.

"Thank you," I stepped forward and kissed his cheek.

"You're welcome," he smiled and I could feel him watching me as I walked into the house.

So far, so good.

**o.O.o.O.o**

Eric scored some points with Gran by bringing her flowers. She was particularly fond of Peonies, but how he knew that, I have no idea. It was probably just dumb luck on his part, since I never told him. I brought a pitcher of lemonade and some glasses out a while later after Jason and Sydney arrived. Apparently Crystal wasn't feeling well, so she stayed home. The look on Jason's face told me there was more to the story but he didn't want to talk about it in front of the whole family.

Tommy did a great job of keeping Syd entertained while Gran and I finished up all the preparations for supper. When I brought out the lemonade, Eric followed me inside to meet Gran. I figured it was a smart move since it gave Dad, Jason and Sam a few minutes to have their own little coffee klatch to discuss their impressions of Eric. Eric actually seemed nervous, walking behind me to the kitchen.

I'd told him I was close with Gran and that her opinion counted for a lot with me. I didn't give him too many pointers in dealing with her since I knew she'd be able to sniff it out if he was being fake with her. Gran might be getting on in years, but that had only made her wiser; she was no fool. I showed Eric around the house quickly before taking him to the kitchen.

Gran was standing at the stove, watching her oil heat up so she could fry her chicken. I cleared my throat to get her attention and she turned around slowly to see me standing a few feet away, holding Eric's hand. She smiled her warmest hostess' smile while stepping forward.

"Gran, this is Eric Northman," I hesitated to call him my boyfriend even though we'd had that discussion a few days before. I didn't know how he felt about labels and I didn't want to throw that out there if it wasn't something he was comfortable with. "Eric, this is my grandmother, Adele Stackhouse."

"It's nice to meet you, Eric," Gran reached out and shook his hand.

I was thankful he didn't do the cheesy, flirting thing with her because she wouldn't have been impressed with that. Gran didn't see anything classy about one of my suitor's making eyes at her. Bill had done that and she warned me before we left her house that night that Bill was a snake in the grass. While I don't think he was as bad as Gran thought he was, she wasn't entirely wrong about him either.

"Likewise, Mrs. Stackhouse. Sookie speaks very highly of you," Eric told her.

"That's always nice to hear. Thank you for the flowers, by the way. I love Peonies," she told him.

"Sookie said you like flowers, but she didn't say what kind. I'm glad you like them," Eric smiled at her. It was a genuine smile and I saw him relax a little bit.

"They're lovely," Gran nodded. "I'm glad you could join us today."

Syd started crying in the living room so I reluctantly left Eric alone with Gran to go check on Tommy and the baby. I walked into the living room to find Tommy trying to put Syd's pacifier in her mouth. "What's all this fussin' about?" I asked while kneeling down to get Syd from her little bouncy chair.

"She just starting crying," Tommy shrugged.

"It's okay, Tommy, babies cry all the time," I smiled at him and then went about trying to get Syd to stop hollering.

I swear, you'd think someone put her hand in a juicer the way she was screaming and carrying on. I found her diaper bag in the corner and a bottle already mixed. I got settled in Gran's old rocking chair and the second I popped that bottle in Syd's mouth, she quieted down. I rocked her gently and it was obvious Tommy was relieved to see it wasn't his fault Syd was having a meltdown.

"See? She's just hungry," I kissed Syd's forehead while she ate.

I heard Gran and Eric laughing in the kitchen and was slightly disappointed about missing whatever it was they were talking about to make them laugh that way. I thought about getting up to go stick my nose in, but decided to give them a little time to themselves. I sat and rocked Syd while she ate and Tommy sat on the floor by my feet to read to us from one of the books he brought with him from home.

It was a book about dealing with death and what happens after the loss of a parent. Tommy was reading it like he would read The Cat in the Hat, which concerned me a little. I wondered where he got the book from and if Sam had taken the time to sit and really read it with him or not. I worried that Sam's discomfort over stepping up and playing the dad role was making it so the therapist was doing all the work in helping Tommy grieve. There was nothing wrong with letting Tommy see Sam was hurting too.

I pushed all that away to think about later on when there weren't lots of people around, or a baby that needed burping. Jason came in a few minutes later while I had Syd up on my shoulder, waiting for her to let one out. She was Jason's daughter so I knew there had to be a big ole burp in her somewhere. I could be patient and wait for it.

"She eating for you?" Jason bent down to give Syd a kiss on the top of her head.

"Like a champ. How's it going out there?" I asked.

"Fine," Jason shrugged and I could have kicked him.

"You know what I mean! What are Dad and Sam saying about Eric?"

"Not much," he shrugged again.

"I hate you," I shook my head, knowing Jason was messing with me.

"Liar," Jason handed me Syd's bottle when she let out one heck of a burp. "That's my girl," he said with pride.

"Well here, you feed your girl and I'm going back to the kitchen to check on Gran and Eric," I handed Syd over to Jason and bolted from the living room before he could stop me.

I made it to the kitchen in time to see Gran telling Eric the secret spice combination to her fried chicken. My jaw dropped since she wouldn't tell me until I was eighteen and I practically had to sign a blood oath! I stayed quiet, though, and let them talk. I knew they had to be getting along or Gran would have kicked him out of her kitchen a long time ago.

I figured they must have bonded over their love of cooking and it dawned on me that it was entirely possible my entire family might very well be head over heels for Eric by the time dinner was over. I cleared my throat before going any further into the room. I washed my hands before Gran could give me a hairy eyeball for touching anything I shouldn't after feeding a slobbery baby.

"Everything alright with Sydney?" Gran asked, peering around Eric's frame.

"Yeah, she was just hungry. Anything I can help with here?" I offered.

"Fetch me the racks from the pantry and line the table with newspaper, will you?" Gran asked me since I knew where everything was.

"You cool your chicken on racks?" Eric asked her with a hint of surprise.

"Of course!" Gran was borderline offended by the question. "How else would I do it?"

"Most people just use paper towels," Eric said, causing both Gran and I to burst out laughing. "Why is that funny?"

"Because paper towels can only absorb so much oil before the chicken is back to sitting in it again. But if you put the chicken on a rack, the oil drains off, leaving it far less greasy," Gran explained while I was in the pantry getting her cooling racks out.

"Do you mind me asking how old this skillet is, Mrs. Stackhouse?" Eric asked while I set the racks up on the kitchen table.

Just as Gran put the first piece of chicken in the oil, I put the biscuits I'd made into the oven to start baking. I knew the routine well, and approximately how long it was going to take to cook all the chicken Gran was frying up. Gran and I had Sunday supper down to a science, although it wasn't often she made fried chicken anymore because it was a rather labor intensive thing for her. Not to mention, with the oven on it made the already hot farmhouse almost stifling.

I listened while Eric told Gran stories about his travels around Europe and the various cuisines he'd become pretty familiar with while the chicken fried. While they took care of that I kept an eye on the beans and potatoes and finished up with the cooking on those. When everything was all ready to eat, I went outside to collect the boys. Syd was sitting happily with Dad on the porch swing while Jason, Sam and Tommy played catch in the front yard.

"Supper's ready if y'all wanna come in and wash up," I made sure to stand clear of the door before getting trampled by a mess of hungry boys.

Gran had the picnic table set up out back for us to eat at since it was only a marginally better option than the dining room. Jason had a spare swing at Gran's that he kept there for when she babysat and he set that up outside so Syd had somewhere to sit while we ate. Eric and I carted the food outside one platter and serving dish at a time until all the food was out there waiting to be served up.

Gran came out with the last dish which was just a bunch of sliced up watermelon. Everything looked amazing. When we sat down, Gran asked Eric to sit by her and I was in no position to argue. It was a tight fit but we managed to squeeze in all together at the table. Dad said grace and then there was a bit of a frenzy to pass all the food around.

I knew Eric was in with Gran for good when he said, "Mrs. Stackhouse, this is _the best_ fried chicken I've ever had."

* * *

><p><strong>Surprise, surprise, Eric is a hit with Gran and he managed to do it without flirting with her! I always thought that was a kind of bizarre way to handle first meeting someone when you're somewhat trying to prove what a worthy boyfriend you are to a grandmother's daughter. Maybe that's just me.<br>**

**Oh, and baby birds! Before I forget I'm going to pimp Miss Detria's story "The Surrogate" again because it just keeps getting better and better. I don't put my pimp hat on very often, but I really hope you'll give this story a go if you haven't already. You can find a link to it in my profile under my favorite stories. **

**One last thing! If you're reading Wifey's fic, go immediately to her update. It's a sweet & sour day over there in "All In" land, if you catch my drift *winks* Happy reading!**


	16. Don't Let Me Get Me

Chapter 16: Don't Let Me Get Me

Sunday supper with my family was a huge success for Eric. Even Sam had to admit he liked him, which was a big deal to me. I knew Sam felt a little conflicted about it and he even admitted as much to me the next day at work while we were talking behind the bar. "I really didn't want to like him," Sam told me.

"He's great, Sam, and he really liked you and Tommy," I assured him.

"You told him everything, didn't you?" Sam looked uncomfortable.

"I thought it was only fair," I'd waited until after we left Gran's and we were rehashing the night to tell Eric the whole story about my relationship with Sam. Eric had taken it well and seemed to understand my reasons for not telling him everything sooner. "You know what he said when I told him?"

"What?"

"You have great taste," I smiled and Sam laughed nervously. "Sam, don't worry about it; it's fine. In fact, I think it's better than fine. How'd things go with Portia?"

"Well, there was the concern about Joe's motive since his defense counsel was talking about having a psyche evaluation done so they could go for an insanity defense. But while they were going through the papers I was telling you about, Portia found a document with a forged signature on it. Joe tried to change the beneficiary on Mom's life insurance so he would get the pay out if she died," Sam explained to me, leaving my jaw hanging open wide enough to catch alligators.

"He did what?" I couldn't believe it. "Pardon me for asking, but how much money was he trying to get his hands on?"

I knew it wasn't really a polite question to ask. Frankly, it was none of my business but Sam didn't seem to mind sharing. "The policy in question was worth $250,000.00"

"Holy Christmas!" I shook my head. "Why would he do that?"

Sam shrugged and said, "That's what Portia was wondering. They're digging around in the bank statements now trying to see if there's an explanation. It's going to take some time, but since that form he signed is clearly forged, the money goes to Tommy and me."

"Wow," I was stunned, to say the least. "What are you going to do with it?"

"Tommy's half is going into a trust until he turns twenty-one," Sam told me without thinking twice. "I might portion some of it out for college, but I don't want him to skip out on going to school to spend the rest of his life bumming around. The money won't last forever and at eighteen, most people don't know how to spend it accordingly."

"You did," I pointed out to him.

"Yeah, but I knew from the time I was the age Tommy is now what I wanted to do with my life. Tommy is definitely more of a clean slate than I was," Sam reminded me while slicing limes.

"Well, part of the fun part of growing up is learning what you want to do with the rest of your life."

"Very true," Sam agreed and tossed the cut up limes into their container. "But it's different when you have to be the one doing the guiding."

I didn't say anything after that since I didn't really know what the right thing was to say. I'd already promised I would be there to help Sam with whatever I could. Whether that meant taking Tommy overnight once in a while or helping him figure out the right thing to do when he was confused, I would do whatever I could. But I couldn't take on all the responsibility of raising that little boy, as much as I loved him. I wanted to remind Sam that he had managed to not only open a business, but make it successful. In a lot of ways, it was like raising a child.

I wasn't sure Sam would see the comparison, however, so I just left it alone. When Holly got in just before four o'clock, I got her caught up on what was happening with my tables and left her in charge of them. Sam was over in his old house doing whatever he was doing, but since he was in a mood I just let him be. I was in a good mood and I didn't want to let that go to waste on something I couldn't really change.

I loved Sam and he knew it, but there wasn't really anything I could do for him. He needed time to get used to his new situation. Not to mention, he was still grieving the loss of his mother. While I could certainly identify with not having a mother around to help me when I needed her, I couldn't imagine what it was like to find out your mother had been murdered, especially by someone who supposedly loved her.

Now to find out, on top of everything else, that she had been killed for money? It was just unimaginable. My good mood had faded a little by the time I got home, having spent too much time thinking about Sam and the mess he was in. I took a quick shower and debated over what to do next. When Eric went home the night before we discussed maybe meeting for dinner the next night. I contemplated just getting in my car and driving over to his house but I wasn't sure we were at the point yet where I could just show up at his place unannounced without that being an issue.

"I was just thinking about you," Eric said in a sleepy tone when he picked up my call.

"What were you thinking?" I tried to keep the sadness out of my voice.

"I want you in my bed. Now."

Well then.

"I can be there in an hour."

"Hurry," he said and then hung up.

Usually I would have scoffed and been pissed at him for that, but I really wanted to see him. I wanted to forget everything else for a while and find that happy mood I had when I first got to work. I packed a bag and left my house without a second thought.

**o.O.o.O.o**

"What's wrong?" Eric asked when I climbed into his bed with him without a word and just wrapped as much of myself around him as I could.

"My day started out really well, but it got shitty," I said quietly.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he stroked my hair.

"Not right now. Right now I just want to breathe. Is that okay?" I whispered.

"Of course. I'll be here when you're ready," he kept on stroking my hair and before too long, I was asleep.

It was a dark and dreamless sleep and when I woke up, Eric had managed to rearrange us so he was spooning me from behind. How he did that without waking me, I'll never know. His hand was resting on my stomach and I could feel his breath on my neck. I shifted slightly and turned my head as much as I could to see if he was awake.

"Eric?" I whispered when I couldn't quite see his eyes.

"I'm here," he whispered back. "Feel better now?"

I nodded and rolled over so we were face to face. "I'm sorry. I'm sure you had better things to do tonight than just lounge around in bed while I sleep."

"Nah, this has been the best part of my day," he kissed the tip of my nose.

"You know, it's scary how perfect you are sometimes. It makes me nervous," I admitted to him.

"You would prefer if we fought more?" he tucked some hair behind my ear.

"A disagreement of some sort would be nice. This feels too easy," I brought my hand up to touch his cheek gently. "It scares me being this happy."

"Because of your parents?" he asked and I nodded. "I don't think we have to worry about ending up like them, Sookie, or like my parents either."

"I was upset earlier because of Sam's parents. Sam met with the assistant district attorney today. It turns out his step-dad was trying to commit insurance fraud so he would inherit Marjorie's life insurance," I told Eric.

"Ouch," Eric grimaced. "Wait, why would that work? I mean, he shot her. He had to have known he wouldn't get the payout."

"I asked the same question. Apparently he tried telling the police there was a break-in, but there was no evidence whatsoever to support an intruder was in the house. On top of that, Tommy saw Joe with the gun, from what Sam told me."

"That's fucked up."

"No kidding. Sam's having a really hard time with all this and I don't blame him. I want to help but I don't know how and even though I know the best thing I can probably do for him is just be his friend, it feels like I should be doing something else," I explained.

"Maybe, but do you want to make _him_ feel better, or _yourself_ feel better?" Eric asked me.

"What do you mean?"

"Sometimes people do good deeds to assuage their own guilt and not because the recipient of said good deed really needs assistance."

"Eric, he's been my best friend since we were 4. I don't really need a reason to do something nice for him," I pointed out with a little frustration in my voice.

"No, you don't," Eric agreed but then continued with, "But you can't fix him either, Sookie."

I wanted to argue that he was twisting my words, but my brain filter kicked in to stop me from doing just that. Eric had a point. Was my guilt because of what Sam was going through or was I trying to compensate for something else? Would I still feel so strongly if I wasn't currently lying in Eric's bed? The fact that I wasn't sure told me Eric's argument had merit.

"I don't know what the solution is, Sookie. If it were me, I'd just keep doing what you're doing. Listen when he needs someone to talk to and give advice when you can. Sam's going to have to do the heavy lifting on this one," Eric rubbed my arm as he talked.

"Maybe you're right," I muttered and closed my eyes.

"I like Sam," Eric tilted my chin up. "I'm sorry he's going through this but there's only so much you can do for him."

I sighed and snuggled closer to him. "Can we just stay here a while longer?" I asked when my traitor stomach reminded me I needed to eat.

"We can stay here as long as you want. I was thinking of ordering pizza tonight anyway," he kissed my forehead.

"No mushrooms," I said quietly.

"No mushrooms," Eric repeated and squeezed me to him.

**o.O.o.O.o**

A little over an hour later we sat down in the living room together to eat pizza and watch a movie. I let Eric pick the movie since I didn't really care what we watched. Since Eric was a freak for Quentin Tarantino, we ended up watching _True Romance_, which I'd never seen before. It was actually a pretty good movie, as far as I was concerned. Brad Pitt as a stoner alone made the whole movie worth watching.

We were just getting to the part where Elliott was making a deal with the police to wear a wire when my cell phone rang. By tone, I knew it was Amelia calling and since she didn't call me very often, I excused myself to take the call. Eric paused the movie for me but remained on the couch while I went to the kitchen to talk.

"What's going on, Ames?" I asked quietly.

"I did it; I talked to Pam," she said in a relieved tone.

"That's great, Ames. What happened?" I hoped she could make it quick since I didn't want to leave Eric sitting on the couch waiting for me all night.

"Well, I told her everything. I explained how I feel about her and how I love spending time with her and all that and then I told her about Tray. I told her how I met him and that I feel this attraction to him but I haven't acted on it out of respect for her. I told her how I didn't want to lose her but there was also something pulling me toward Tray. She seemed to understand where I was coming from and suggested we try having an open relationship," Amelia confessed to me.

"Wow, well…" I didn't really know what to think of that. "That's what you wanted, right?"

"Yeah," Amelia said but didn't sound very excited about it.

"What's the problem, Amelia?" I asked her gently.

"I don't know… I guess I'm a little hurt she didn't have a fit, you know? Like I didn't want her to be insanely jealous, but she just jumped on the idea of us being able to see other people. It makes me wonder if she really cares about me or if this relationship is all about convenience for her," she explained.

"Didn't you say that Pam isn't really the exclusive type?" I reminded her.

"Yes, but-"

"And weren't you the one who proposed having your cake and eating it too?"

"Yeah, but-"

"Was this all just a test to see how Pam really feels about you, Amelia?" I asked her.

"Why are you judging me?" Amelia snapped at me.

"I'm not judging you! I'm just trying to wrap my head around this. Personally, I couldn't imagine sharing Eric with anyone. I couldn't look him in the eyes and tell him I care about him and then in the next breath suggest he give me the space to be with another man because I was curious. That isn't fair to him."

"You don't get it," Amelia said dismissively.

"No, I don't get it," I agreed with her. "I don't get how you can care about someone so much and still be willing to put your own needs ahead of theirs. It just doesn't make any sense to me."

"Yeah, well, you better get used to it with a guy like Eric in your life," Amelia muttered.

"Excuse me?"

"Well, let's just say that monogamy isn't a family trait," Amelia spat at me.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're a smart girl, Sookie, you figure it out," Amelia said and hung up.

I was mad enough to spit after that. I was having a perfectly good evening with Eric and Amelia had to go and ruin it because she didn't get her way. I hated how spiteful she could get when she didn't get what she wanted. She had this terrible way of making everyone else just as miserable as she was just to make herself feel better. Sometimes it was really hard to be her friend.

"Everything okay?" Eric asked when I walked back into the living room.

"No," I said with a pout and plopped down on the couch next to him. "Amelia's pissed at me because I told her I don't agree with what she's doing so she lashed out at me."

"What's she doing?"

I sighed and debated over whether or not to tell him, but then I figured he was Pam's brother. He might find out anyway but it wasn't really my place to go telling him about his sister's love life. "Ask Pam."

"I'm asking you," he arched an eyebrow at me.

"I know but it's Pam's personal business and I don't know if I should be talking to you about it. Besides, I don't know if you really want to know anyway," I cringed at the idea of Jason bringing me a problem similar to the one Amelia was having.

"Want to give me a general idea?" Eric suggested.

I took a deep breath and tried to figure out how to phrase the issue without giving away too much. "Basically, Amelia wants to have her cake and eat it too, and I pretty much told her she was being selfish and inconsiderate of Pam's feelings."

"I see," Eric nodded, although it was obvious he knew he was missing something. "So what did Amelia say to make you so upset?"

"She told me that monogamy isn't a shared trait in the Northman family," I admitted to him.

"She was insinuating that I would cheat on you, is that it?" Eric looked pissed.

"I don't think she meant it," why I was defending Amelia, I had no idea.

Eric sighed and looked thoughtful for a minute before saying, "I haven't always been faithful in my past. I have cheated before. It's not something I'm proud of but I learned from my mistakes. I won't cheat on you, Sookie. I told you I'm with you, and I mean that. You're the only one I want."

The way Eric was looking at me made me believe he was telling me the truth. "Eric, I think she was just saying that to make me doubt you because she's upset with Pam."

"That's a really shitty way to treat your friends," Eric observed.

I nodded my agreement. "Can we just go back to watching the movie and pretend like that phone call never happened?"

"Sure," Eric put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me closer to him.

I snuggled against his side as the movie started up again. I tried to follow along with the movie but my brain just wouldn't quiet down enough for me to enjoy the ending. I kept thinking about what Amelia said and then Eric's confession afterward. His behavior toward me so far left me with no reason to think he would cheat on me. He had been pretty open with me about his feelings and it was the little things he did that let me know where I stood with him. It was the new toothbrush, the towel in the bathroom, the coffeemaker when he didn't drink coffee and the goofy text messages he sent that let me know he was thinking about me when I wasn't around.

He'd not only met my family, but got along with them. He even seemed to be okay with Sam, and that was a _huge_ deal for me. I loved spending time with him and I couldn't recall ever sleeping better than when I was in his arms. In short, my life didn't really feel like it was missing anything. I was happy with Eric. I was falling for him big time.

By the end of the movie, I was furious with Amelia for trying to bring me down. I had enough problems to worry over without her throwing her bullshit at me too. Her problem was easily solved. All she had to do was make a damn decision, but she wanted to be selfish and have it both ways. If it were me and Eric came to me with some hair brain idea of an open relationship, I'd tell him to make a choice. Actually, no, I'd make the choice for him. I had far too much pride to be someone's second fiddle.

"So, what'd you think?" Eric asked when the movie was over.

"I liked it," I said absently.

"And the ending?"

"It was great," I smiled weakly.

"Even the part when Clarence became an Elvis impersonator and drove his car into that busload of school children?" he asked me and I quirked an eyebrow at him. "You weren't paying attention, were you?" Eric shook his head.

"I'm sorry, my head just… I was thinking," I burrowed against him.

"Don't let her get to you like this, Sookie," he kissed my head.

"You're right. I know you're right," I sighed. "What time is it?"

"Almost ten."

"Can we go for a walk? Maybe a little fresh air will help," I suggested.

"Sure. I'll go upstairs and get my shoes. I'll meet you outside in a minute," he promised and left me on the couch to get his shoes.

I stood up and stretched. My hip was asleep from sitting the way I did for so long. I thought it was slightly sad that there weren't many pictures of his family hanging up in Eric's house. There was just a solitary photo on the mantel in the family room that I had seen so far. It was a picture of Eric and Pam, and I assumed the older woman in the photo was Helena. She was a beautiful woman with long blonde hair, bright blue eyes and a haunting smile. She looked a lot like Pam.

"Sookie?" Eric called from the entryway when he came back downstairs.

"Coming!" I called back and started walking.

I didn't want to feel like a zombie anymore. I wanted to shake off my bad mood and enjoy being with Eric again. We walked out of the house hand in hand. I wisely left my cell phone at his place, not wanting to get into round two with Amelia while Eric and I were out. We ended up walking to a little ice cream shop nearly a mile away from Eric's house.

"What's your favorite flavor?" Eric wrapped his arms around me from behind and rested his chin on my head.

"Double fudge brownie," I said without hesitation. "What about you?"

"Guess," he said.

I looked in the case at the various flavors and mulled it over. "Clearly, it's not the peanut butter cup," I smiled up at him.

"Nope," he smiled back.

"And I'm guessing you're too old for the bubblegum to be appealing," I said as we walked along the case.

"I was _always_ too old for that to be appealing," Eric said and I laughed.

"I never liked it either. Ice cream and gum don't go together, in my opinion," I said and that got me another kiss on the head.

"I knew I liked you for a reason," he teased.

"Since you aren't a fan of caramel and I know you stay away from nuts as much as possible just to be safe," I was thinking out loud as we moved. I grinned when I came to what I thought was the right flavor. "I'm going to guess cookies 'n cream."

"Close," Eric said and then pointed to the flavor next to it.

"Mint Oreo?" I looked up at him and he nodded. "Are you going to let me try it?" I batted my eyelashes at him.

"What will you give me in return?"

I bit my bottom lip and curled a finger at him to bend down a little. I turned my head and whispered in his ear. "How about third base?"

He cleared his throat and said, "We'll get our ice cream to go."

* * *

><p><strong>Ice cream <em>and<em> sexual favors. I don't know about you, but that sounds like a great night to me haha. For those that are itching for a little Pam, we'll be seeing her very soon. I kinda want to kick Amelia, however, because seriously, what a bitch. Such unbestie-like behavior from her there. Thanks for reading!**


	17. Tell Me

**Hopefully this will cool your jets if you were all fired up for more no strings attached fun times in "Love With a Stranger." I like that there's a balance going here. Enjoy your baby lemons!**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 17: Tell Me<span>

Third base turned out to be one of those heaven/hell paradoxes. Eric didn't hold me to our agreement until the next morning. He not only woke up before me, but found a fun new way for us to wake up together. At first I thought I was dreaming. It took a minute for me to realize what I thought I was reaming was really happening. Eric was spooned up behind me and I could very clearly feel there was a part of him that was desperate to say good morning, good afternoon and probably goodnight to me.

I smiled lazily without opening my eyes and instead focused on the feeling of Eric's hand moving in an exploratory manner in my panties. When his index finger found my clit my hips pushed back and wiggled against him. He nipped at my shoulder before moving inward toward my neck while his fingers continued their exploration.

"Good morning, lover," he whispered in my ear and I shivered at the use of the pet name.

"Morning," I whispered back and put my leg up on his to give him better access. I could smell the mint on his breath and my smile only grew. "No fair. You brushed."

"You'll get your chance," he promised and moved his finger in fast circles that made my breath catch. "So wet for me," he murmured in my ear.

I could only moan a response. Words were failing me at the moment. His finger moved up and down, teasing my entrance before returning to my clit. He repeated the process over and over again until I was practically clawing at his leg behind me. All of a sudden I was on my stomach, which I wasn't at all expecting. Eric got up on his knees behind me and began to pull off my panties. I gasped at the unexpected move but I didn't try to stop him.

When he got the wet material past my knees, I bent them so he could get them off more easily. "Turn over, Sookie," he said with a hint of authority in his voice that was even sexier than him calling me _lover._

I turned over so I flat on my back. Eric hovered over me in nothing but his boxers. I was still wearing the t-shirt I'd slept in and it felt strange to still be wearing it. I kept my hands at my sides while Eric looked me over. There was a hungry look in his eyes but he didn't move right away. My heart was beating incredibly fast in my chest. The waiting was killing me.

Eric shifted his position and kissed just below my belly button. He moved up slowly, taking my t-shirt with him as he went. I lifted and arched my body and then my arms when the time was right so he could pull the shirt up over my head. There was the instinct to cover myself a little but I forced my arms back to my sides instead. Eric tossed my shirt across the room without looking where it landed.

He moved again so he was at my left side and leaned down to kiss me. I could taste the mint from his toothpaste and it was easily the deepest kiss I'd ever gotten from him. His hand slid down my neck and into my hair, holding onto the tangled locks while he kissed me until I was beyond breathless. I was spinning from that alone and when his lips left a wet trail down my neck, he moved to blow cool air on it.

Every single part of me reacted to it, including my hips, which moved up off the bed. I felt him smile when he reached my breasts. He kissed around my nipples but didn't touch either of them. By the time his mouth got back to my navel, my hips were moving of their own accord. Friction; I needed friction. My thighs were rubbing together and I was dangerously close to begging, which I had never done before.

My mind blipped back to Bill, just for a few seconds, in order to recall how…efficient he'd been. Bill was perfectly good in bed. He wasn't selfish but he wasn't terribly inventive either. There were a few wild nights tucked in there but it usually involved a bottle of wine beforehand. Otherwise, the sex was pretty much always the same, both in routine and timing. Already, I could tell the same wouldn't be true with Eric.

"Where do you want me to touch you, Sookie?" Eric whispered in my ear and I hadn't even realized he'd moved up again.

"Here," I took some initiative and put his hand where I wanted it between my thighs.

He growled and said, "Spread your legs for me, lover."

_Yessir!_, my mind was screaming and my legs immediately did as I was told. It was nice to have my head and my body on the same page for a change. Eric kissed me deeply again while his fingers resumed their earlier work. The hard part was going to be telling him not to round home plate but I figured that out a little too late in the game.

"Beautiful," he whispered in my ear, along with a slew of other compliments that he punctuated with a kiss wherever his lips happened to land on my skin until his mouth was where I had put his hand. His tongue darted out of his mouth and licked up some of the wetness he found before saying, "Delicious."

I could feel my skin getting hotter by the second. Little beads of sweat began to form on my forehead, neck and chest and the teasing he was doing was slowly driving me insane. I wouldn't have thought Eric had as much self-control as he did. That was when I realized I was trapped in the heaven/hell paradox and it was hard to decide which feeling was more prevalent. He held me down when my hips moved too much but didn't seem to mind my hands in his hair doing a little tugging and guiding of their own.

His fingers worked a counter rhythm to his tongue and the closer I got to my release the harder it was to breathe; which was odd, considering all the panting I was doing. My hips continued to fight against the hold Eric had on them. He did the most amazing things with his tongue and I never would have guessed it would be the slight crooking of his fingers that would be my undoing.

It seemed like from out of nowhere, my body exploded. "Eric!" I screamed and nearly pulled a handful of his hair out.

The vibration of his growl against my clit sent extra aftershocks through me. I felt boneless, weightless and a little like I was floating. There were definitely stars floating over my head and it took a minute before I could even string together any form of intelligent thought. By then Eric's mouth was on mine and I could taste myself on him. It was something I had never experienced with Bill before, and certainly not with Quinn.

My hands moved down Eric's perfectly sculpted body to his hips and began to push his boxers down. As much as I wanted to be as vocal as Eric was, my self-confidence just wasn't there yet. I was sure I wasn't nearly as experienced with sex as Eric was, although we hadn't had the talk yet about the number of people we'd had sex with. We hadn't even had the birth control talk but we didn't really need to for what was about to happen. I may not have been an expert on sex but I knew I wouldn't get pregnant from what we were doing.

I got his boxers down enough and my hands slid around to grab his ass, which I had been dying to do since Sunday and he'd bent down a whole bunch of times to pick up the ball when he was playing catch with Tommy and Sam after dinner. But there was only so much I could do there and while Eric had definitely taken his time teasing me, I was sure it had been somewhat torturous for him as well.

All the same I pushed him onto his back and straddled him after getting his boxers off the rest of the way. I stretched forward to kiss him while my hand moved between us and wrapped around his cock as best I could. Huge; he was huge. I tried not to let my intimidation show and started stroking him slowly while I kissed him. He groaned when my thumb brushed over his tip and spread the little bit of moisture that had gathered there.

Feeling a little bit bolder, I broke the kiss and moved to his ear. "Where do you want me to kiss you, Eric?"

He growled at me and his hands were in my hair, a little more forcefully than before, and moved my head where he wanted it. He pushed me down but not as far as I expected he would. Instead I ended up at his chest and purely on instinct; I dragged my teeth over the taut muscle there, making sure to pause to flick my tongue over his nipple. He hissed quietly and I added a twist to my strokes.

"Fuck, Sookie," he groaned and I repeated my actions on the other side.

He pulled my mouth up to his but I barely kissed him before trailing my way down his neck and chest to his stomach. His stomach was quivering slightly, a sure sign he was fighting for control of himself. I used my teeth some more, lightly scraping the ridges and valleys of his abs before moving even further down past his navel. There was the light trail of blond hair leading down to the Promise Land.

For the first time, I really stopped to look at him; all of him, and I fought the gasp that desperately wanted to escape me. I continued using my hand, but brought my mouth into the mix. My tongue swirled around his head and I could taste a salty essence from the moisture that I'd spread around. His hands remained in my hair but he didn't force my head down, which I was thankful for. I would have cut him off really quick if he tried to force himself down my throat.

Eric was content to let me go at my own pace. I knew there was no way I was going to be able to deep throat him without a lot of practice, but the lusty devil in my head very clearly said, "There's no time like the present," so I took him as far as I could before I started to feel like I was going to gag.

"Fuck, don't stop," he growled, which was probably one of the sexiest things I'd ever heard.

My hand stroked what I couldn't fit in my mouth while my head bobbed. I was going mostly by instinct, since Bill had never been very insistent on oral sex. He preferred the main event to the build up. Eric's hands held my hair out of my face so I could look up at him. He was staring right at me, watching every move I made. Instead of making me nervous, it gave me confidence, especially when I'd feel him twitch or hear him groan.

He moved one of his hands to take mine from its post, stroking his cock to put it on his balls instead. I massaged gently and one last pass of my tongue over the head of his cock proved to be his undoing. I felt him swell and barely heard him warn me he was going to come before he did it. I had no intention of dodging the bullet, so to speak, and put my hand back on his cock to stroke him through his orgasm.

There was no mistaking the roar that accompanied his pleasure and after I swallowed, I released him from my mouth. I kept stroking him gently and kissed my way up his body while he tried to get himself together again. I paused at his neck for a few seconds, taking my time to mark him the way he had done to me that first day out on the boat. By the time I got to his mouth, he was breathing heavily and had a glazed over look in his eyes.

"Thank you," he whispered to me, which made me smile.

"You're welcome," I leaned in and kissed him tentatively, since I wasn't sure how he would feel about kissing me after what I'd just done.

Apparently Eric didn't care, and as soon as I parted my lips to give him access, his tongue was brushing against mine. We laid there together for quite a while, just kissing and whispering sweet things to each other before my bladder remembered I'd been woken up without a trip to the bathroom. I reluctantly left Eric in bed and ran for the bathroom. When I was done with my business, I reached into that giant shower of his and started the water.

I cracked the bathroom door open and stuck my head out. "I'm going to shower. I could be wrong, but I think there's room for two in here."

"Is that an invitation?" Eric smirked at me, still a little starry eyed.

I shrugged and said, "You've seen it all now."

It didn't bother me one bit being naked in front of Eric, which was a shock to me since it had taken quite a while to get used to it in the past. Apparently, showering together seemed to be the key to snapping Eric out of his post-orgasmic haze because he wasted no time getting out of bed and nearly tackling me in the bathroom. He pulled me into the shower with him, attacking my neck with kisses as he did it.

"Eric!" I squealed with laughter as he pulled the shower door closed. When he finally put me down I turned around to face him and said, "You keep raising the bar with the best ways to wake up."

"You promised me third base," he reminded me.

"Oh, I'm not upset. In fact that was probably the best orgasm I've ever had," I admitted with a faint blush.

The instant preening wasn't at all surprising. I was actually more shocked he didn't beat on his chest like Tarzan. Maybe later I'd see a skywriter informing the neighborhood of his talents. Or he'd get on the internet and make himself a t-shirt. I snorted at the idea, which earned me a raised eyebrow from him.

"What's so funny?" he passed me the shampoo.

"Nothing," I giggled but knew I wasn't going to get away with that answer.

"Sookie," there was warning in his tone.

"Don't worry your pretty little head about it," I tried to keep a straight face and failed miserably.

"I'm not worried," his eyes became predatory and felt my heart rate speed up just a little. "But you should be."

I gulped when he pushed me up against the cool tile wall. I yelped a little but then moaned when his hand moved between my legs. I hadn't intended to go for a second round in the shower, but if he wanted to play, game on.

**o.O.o.O.o**

My drama with Amelia was completely forgotten by the time I left Eric's house for work. I was running late and hoped traffic wasn't too bad. With a little bit of luck, or maybe God on my side, I managed to get to Merlotte's with a full five minutes to spare. Sam was sitting at a table talking to a teenage redhead with bright blue eyes and dimples in her cheeks when she smiled. She looked about as wholesome as they come and considering she was a teenager, she was dressed modestly. Sadly, that was something I didn't see much of anymore.

I waved at Sam, intending to just go back to his office and drop off my things before taking over for Holly, but he beckoned me over to his table. "Sookie, this is Jessica Hamby. She lives next door to my mother's house. She's going to be babysitting Tommy for me," he explained.

"Oh, hi! It's nice to meet you," I extended my hand to her. "Tommy's mentioned you before. I think he's got a little crush on you."

Jessica grinned and said, "He's a sweetheart that one.

"Jessica is going to be a senior at Bon Temps High School in the fall," Sam told me.

"That's great," I smiled at them both.

"I can't wait to graduate," Jessica said anxiously.

"Just wait until you get to your first midterms in college and you might change your mind," I warned her.

"I won't be living at home anymore which means it'll be worth it," she sighed with relief.

There was something troubling in her eyes but I wasn't about to pry and since I was in a good mood from my quality time with Eric, I didn't want anything bringing me down. I just nodded and kept on smiling. After a few more minutes of small talk, I excused myself so Holly could get on home to her son. She hated leaving him with a sitter any longer than she had to.

I rushed to the back and dropped off my things. Holly caught me up on what was happening in my section and then wished me a good night before heading home. I checked in to see if anyone needed anything at the few tables that were occupied before getting a jump on my side work. I started fresh coffee, knowing the dinner rush was going to hit in less than an hour. I refilled the napkin dispensers and checked to make sure we had plenty of takeout boxes ready.

My tables filled up quickly since Sam didn't bother having a hostess do the seating. He believed in first come, first serve and folks knew better than to cut in line if it wasn't their turn. It always pissed off Arlene that my section filled before hers, which meant I earned more tips than she did, but she had no one to blame but herself. She had a tendency to socialize too much with the folks she knew and ignored the ones she didn't. It resulted in inconsistent service, not to mention she was constantly stopping to check on her fiancé or taking calls from her kids.

On top of everything else, she was rude and snippy a lot of the time. That might have been acceptable in some places, but Sam didn't much care for it. I had it on good authority that if she didn't have kids, he would have let her go a long time ago. As it was, he kept her in a smaller section, closer to the bar, where she wouldn't offend as many people. He also kept her to the simple side work of making sure tables were wiped down and chairs were put up before she went home for the night.

I smiled when Dad came in at the tail end of the rush. He looked wiped out and took a seat at the only empty table in my section. I brought him a menu and leaned down to kiss his cheek. "Hey, Daddy, how ya feelin'?"

"I'm wiped out, baby girl. Can I have an iced tea, please?" he practically begged.

"Of course. I'll be right back," I patted his shoulder and went off to get him his tea. I made sure to put two lemon wedges on the rim of the glass. "Here ya are," I set the glass down in front of him.

"Thank you," he squeezed the lemon into his tea like I knew he would. "Can ya sit for a minute?"

I looked around and saw one of my tables was just about done with their meal. "Gimme one quick second. The Theriots need their check," I told him and then went to deliver the paper. After bringing Mrs. Theriot her to-go box, I bid them a goodnight and returned to my father. "What's goin' on?"

"Jason showed up at the garage with Syd just after lunchtime and asked me to watch her. He said he went by your place but you weren't home," Dad rubbed his forehead.

"No, I was at Eric's house," I didn't volunteer that I had been there since the evening before.

"He wouldn't tell me what's going on, but he insisted I take her for a while. He said he had some things to handle but that was all," Dad told me, clearly thinking I knew what the deal was.

"I don't know what's going on, Dad. I haven't talked to Jason since Sunday supper," I told him.

"Is something happening with Crystal? I know she's never been all that social but she's been extra irritable lately," Dad observed.

I took a deep breath and debated over what to say. I didn't really know what was going on either. Jason told me they were having trouble but he didn't get really specific with me. Besides, it wasn't my place to go blabbing his business to Dad. Dad would have understood a wife that didn't really want to be married. Go figure Jason would find a woman like that, too.

"I can't say, Daddy. You'll have to talk to Jason about it," I shrugged.

"Does that mean you don't know, or you just won't tell me?" Dad had my number and I knew it.

"I can't break his confidence, Dad," I said apologetically.

"It's alright, I understand," he sighed and rubbed his eyes again.

"Look, I'll try and give him a call when I get out of here tonight, alright? Where's Syd?" I asked him.

"Jason came and picked her up at the end of his shift. He didn't say where he was going, but I assume it wasn't home. He looked concerned and I couldn't blame him.

"I'm not sure what's going on, Daddy, but I hope they're able to mend fences for Syd's sake," I patted his shoulder.

"I hope he didn't marry a woman like your mama," Dad muttered quietly, but not so quiet I couldn't hear him.

I didn't say anything about it though, since it wasn't really worthwhile to. Dad ordered the Burger Lafayette like he almost always did when he came in, along with a side of fried pickles and okra fries. I worried about Dad being so stressed out. I didn't want him to worry about Jason but I knew that was pointless of me since he was going to worry anyway. He worried even when things were fine.

As usual Daddy left me a more than generous tip and a kiss on the cheek before taking off for the night. I knew he'd swing by Gran's on his way home to make sure she didn't need anything before turning in for the night. With my good mood slowly starting to dissolve, I took a few minutes to myself to regroup. I really couldn't get too involved in Jason's marital problems. I'd do what I could to support him, but I couldn't fix his problems.

While I leaned up against the warm brick exterior of the restaurant, I closed my eyes and replayed my morning with Eric. That probably wasn't the smartest thing I ever did, but I definitely had a smile on my face by the time I went back inside the restaurant. Being that it was a Tuesday night the crowd died down pretty early and even though we closed at midnight, the restaurant side of the business was pretty much done for by ten.

I got my side work done and helped Sam with inventory. We worked quietly, for the most part. He asked a few questions about Eric and tried to be casual about it. I smiled at the shelves of paper products while I formulated my answers.

"I noticed you weren't home earlier. I was going to return your casserole dish," Sam told me.

"No, I wasn't home. You know where the spare key is," I reminded him.

"Yeah, I do, but I wasn't sure if maybe you had company," Sam was fishing obviously, since a minute before he thought I wasn't home.

"Sam, are you trying to ask me if Eric and I are sleeping together?" I turned around and looked him in the eye. The rising red on his neck was answer enough and I shook my head at him. "Sam Merlotte, you should know better than to ask me that."

"You seem happy, Sook, and it's not that I don't like him; I just want to make sure he's treating you good," Sam told me but I suspected there was more to it than that.

"That's all?" I asked.

He nodded and looked a little ashamed of himself so I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

"He's treating me very well, Sam. I'd really like it if the three of us could have dinner some night. Even if we ate here, I'd really like that," I bit my bottom lip nervously.

"Yeah, I think we can arrange that," Sam nodded.

"Thank you, Sam," I leaned over and gave him a hug. "I appreciate you giving him a chance."

"Yeah, yeah," Sam waved it off. "I still reserve the right to break his nose if he breaks your heart."

I schooled my face before he saw the amusement that flashed in my eyes at the very idea of Sam trying. "Of course you do," I patted his shoulder.

"Don't sass me, missy," he snapped a towel at me.

"Don't get your feathers ruffled," I dodged the snap just in time.

We went back to working on inventory until my phone buzzed in my pocket. It was Eric calling and I was surprised to see it was after midnight. I hadn't realized so much time had passed. I excused myself and went out to the hall to answer the call.

"Can I crash at your place?" Eric didn't even bother saying hello.

"Yeah, of course. What's going on?" I asked with concern.

"Pam's here and she's borderline homicidal. Her and Amelia broke up," Eric told me.

Oh. I wasn't the least bit surprised Amelia didn't call me after the fight we had the night before. "Oh boy," I sighed.

I heard a car door slam on Eric's end of the line and then the Corvette's engine revved to life. "Are you sure you don't mind me crashing?"

"No, of course not. Just remember I don't have air conditioning at my place," I pouted slightly. Sleeping over at Eric's house was way more fun. Not only did he have air conditioning but his bed was bigger, and so was his shower.

"As long as I don't have to be under the same roof as Pam, I don't care," he told me.

"Alright, well, I'll be home in a little bit. I'll meet you there," I promised and we hung up a few seconds later. I went back to the storage closet where Sam was looking a little on the glum side. "Sam, I have to get going. Eric's having somewhat of a crisis."

"Yeah," Sam nodded and I could tell he was upset I was leaving.

"Sam, I-"

"It's fine, Sook. I'll see you tomorrow," he said and turned around to go back to work.

_And to think the day started out so well_, I sighed and then headed to get my things.

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><p><strong>*smacks lips* I like tangy, don't you? We're so close to rounding all the bases here, kids, I promise. Next chapter gets us more Pam and she's just...I still don't know what to make of her. Maybe it's because of the broken heart. I'm not sure. Oh well...new chapter tomorrow. Thanks for reading!<strong>


	18. I Run to You

**I completely forgot to post yesterday! Shame on me! By the time I thought of it, it was about 2 this morning and I was too tired to do a read through before posting. So I might post again later tonight. We'll see. **

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><p><span>Chapter 18: I Run to You<span>

Eric stayed with me on Tuesday night to give Pam some time to cool her jets but she wasn't much better Wednesday. I told Eric he was welcome to stay with me as long as he wanted to, but he wasn't about to be kicked out of his own house forever. I ended up back at Eric's Wednesday night after work. He claimed he needed me there to keep him from strangling Pam with her own strand of pearls and by the way they were glaring at each other when I arrived, I started to think Eric was being serious.

I wasn't really sure what to make of Pam. She'd been so weird with me when I met her at Amelia's summer house. She hadn't really said much to me the entire time I was there, and most of what she said felt like she was talking in riddles or something. I brushed off her commentary, deciding she was either trying to gather information on Eric's behalf, or she was just plain weird.

"Hi," I said when I walked in.

"You," Pam stared at me with an almost evil glint in her eyes.

"Back off, Pam, or you'll be Motel 6ing it," Eric warned her.

"What the fuck is wrong with your friend?" Pam completely ignored Eric's warning.

I looked at Eric who was glaring at Pam. I didn't know what to say. My loyalty wanted to take Amelia's side but common sense agreed with Pam's hurt feelings. In the end, I just stayed quiet while Pam went off on her rant.

"This is why I don't do feelings! She was the first person I was completely faithful to and this is what she does to me? She loves me but she wants to have a man on the side? Fuck that," Pam shook her head almost violently before turning her gaze on me. "Seriously, what the actual fuck is her problem?"

I looked up at Eric again and nodded at him to leave the room. He kissed my head, gave Pam a warning glare—not that it seemed to do much good since she gave him the finger- and disappeared from the room. I sat down at the kitchen table across from Pam and asked her to tell me what happened.

"You don't already know? I find that hard to believe," Pam snorted.

"Amelia called me Monday night and we argued. She told me about Tray when I saw her last and I encouraged her to be honest with you," I admitted to Pam.

"So then this is all _your_ fault?"

"Excuse me?" I glared at her. "Look, Pam, all I told her was that if you were the type who was open about relationships, which is what she told me, then it stood to reason that you would be understanding as to what she was going through. She told me you were never exclusive with anyone and she wasn't expecting that to change on account of her. Personally, when I'm with someone, I'm with someone. I don't date multiple people at the same time. It's not my style and I'm not comfortable with it. Call it prudish, but it's just not for me.

"But Amelia is…she's more free with her sexuality. She looks at the person and not their gender. If she's attracted to someone it's because of who they are and not the body they come in. I think her feelings for you probably took her by surprise because usually Amelia falls in and out of love the way most people change their socks. But with you, I think she saw something a little deeper than a passing fancy. Tray seems to have caught her eye and she wants to explore that but she doesn't want to lose you as a result of that curiosity. I told her if she really cares about you as much as she claims to, then she owes it to you to be honest." I told Pam who just kept on staring at me like I belonged on the short bus.

"Or she could _not_ be a selfish twat, and be satisfied with the way things are," Pam huffed.

"Or that," I agreed.

"I told her I wanted to be with just her," Pam admitted to me.

"And she didn't take it well?"

"No, I'm freaking out like this because I'm thrilled with her reaction," Pam deadpanned.

"Hey! Don't snip at me!" I snapped right back at her. "I don't owe you diddly squat! Frankly, I would rather stay the hell out of your relationship drama but my boyfriend is miserable because you're being a pain in his ass so if I have to sit here and talk it through with you I will because I lo-" I stopped just shy of saying something that would drastically alter my life.

Pam's eyes widened. She knew exactly what I was going to say and she wasted no time jumping all over me for it. "You love my brother?" I didn't answer her but that didn't matter. "You do. I can see it in the way you're trying to hide it. But you haven't told him yet."

I kept looking away from her but that didn't matter either. I covered my face with my hands. Did I really love Eric? It was so fast! Only a few weeks had gone by. How was it possible I loved him already? I knew love and intimacy were things that were relative. For some people it took months or years to feel those things, but when it was the right person, it could be instant. All the same, I panicked slightly.

"I don't usually do feelings but if there's one thing I know for certain it's that love can't be rationalized. You don't choose it, it chooses you. If I got a choice, I'd be lounging on a beach with Angelina Jolie somewhere," Pam said and licked her lips.

Um, _cringe_.

"Minus all the sniveling, soggy-diapered children, of course," Pam's eyes glassed over.

"Why are you here, Pam? Are you here just to make Eric miserable?" I asked her, trying to swing the subject back to her since that was why I was even subjecting myself to a conversation with her.

"I had to get away from Amelia for a little while. I don't want to go back to Stockholm just yet but I can't be around her either," Pam said in a very robotic voice that made me wonder if she was just trying to cover up the emotions she didn't claim to have.

"Well, since you're a guest in Eric's home, why not try _not_ acting like a total lunatic?" I suggested.

"You'll do well to remember blood is thicker than water," Pam glared at me.

"I'm not trying to step on your toes here, Pam; I'm just trying to make the best of a shitty situation. If I could, I'd find a solution to make everyone happy but I can't," I sighed and leaned back in my chair.

"She never should have told me about this other guy. Why couldn't she just cheat like a normal person?" Pam practically whined.

I didn't even want to begin to understand her convoluted thought process on that so I just shook my head and stood up. "So why not just tell her that? Tell her to do what she wants, when she wants with _whomever_ she wants but don't tell you anything about it? That way you get to have Amelia back, she gets to see who she wants to see and I don't have to listen to Eric come up with violent ways to kill you in your sleep-like state?" I suggested.

"You're sassy," Pam stared me up and down. "I think I like you."

"Hands off. I belong to a different Northman," I said and then headed for the stairs.

"We'll see about that!" Pam called out after me but I ignored her.

I found Eric stretched out on his bed watching the Discovery Channel. His head turned toward me and he asked, "How'd it go? Do I need to kick her out?"

I gave him a sympathetic look and shook my head. I closed the bedroom door before climbing up on his bed with him. "She's just having a hard time. I don't know if I accomplished anything by talking to her but I hope she'll back off a little."

"I won't be getting my hopes up but thank you for talking to her," Eric wrapped me up in a big hug and kissed me sweetly.

"You're welcome," I snuggled against him for a few minutes before saying, "I need a shower. I smell like the restaurant."

"You smell delicious," he said and licked my neck to prove his point. Weirdo.

I slapped at his arms playfully to get free of him. "Yeah, well, I'd prefer to smell Zest fully clean."

"Want some help with those hard to reach areas?" Eric offered while I walked to the bathroom.

"Not tonight. Ask me again in the morning though," I winked at him before closing myself in the bathroom.

**o.O.o.O.o**

I didn't sleep well that night. I was plagued by the strangest dreams. It started out nicely enough with Eric and me enjoying a leisurely shower together but then Amelia appeared to ask me some more hair brain questions. Pam must have overheard Amelia talking, somehow, and she ended up trying to get in the shower with us as well. Talk about your awkward moments.

Eric pulled me out of the shower, only for us to find Jason waiting in Eric's bedroom to talk to me about _his_ problems. Even better? Gran, Sam and Syd were waiting downstairs. But they weren't just waiting. Oh no. Gran was giving Sam cooking lessons. Yeah, it was weird.

Magically, because it was a dream, Eric and I were fully clothed. He grabbed my hand pulled me out the sliding glass door onto the balcony where he tells me he has the ability to fly. I didn't believe him, of course, because hello, who can fly? But then he grabs me around my waist and up we go.

The next thing I know we're landing in Home Sweet Home cemetery right next to my Gran's house. Eric walks with me through the cemetery and it's suddenly night out and really spooky. Like, cheesy slasher flick spooky. He lets go of my hand and he just disappears. I start searching around for him but can't find him anywhere.

I could hear someone whispering my name and I follow the voice only to find my mother, of all people, waiting for me under the cover of a drooping Spanish Moss. She's playing a harp and dressed like a gypsy. I try to talk to her but my voice won't work. All she said to me was, "Give him the love I couldn't give you."

I had no idea what the hell she was talking about but then when I turn around, I'm back in bed with Eric. Only Eric isn't quite Eric, but a zombie version of Eric. I woke up just as he was trying to bite me, and it seemed I was kicking and thrashing around in bed. He was trying to calm me down and wake me up at the same time.

"Sookie?" he finally got a hold of me and I stopped slapping at him.

"You're not a zombie!" I stared at him and turned his face from side to side.

"Not that I know of," he said with amusement.

"Shut up! I was having a really weird dream," I let go of him and collapsed back against the pillows.

"Yeah, I figured when you started talking in your sleep about me trying to eat you," Eric pulled me closer to him. "Want to talk about it?"

"It was just a dream," I shook my head.

"Yes it was," he stroked my hair and kissed my head.

I breathed in his scent and felt myself relax immediately. "I'm sorry if I hit you."

"Don't worry about it," he spoke softly and yawned.

"I'll be fine. Go back to sleep," I kissed his chest.

I didn't have to tell him twice. Unfortunately, it took me what felt like forever to fall asleep again and when I did, my dreams were no better than the first. At least Eric didn't try to eat me in the dreams that followed but I kept losing him. It seemed like everyone I knew was intent on pulling me away to deal with _their_ problems when all I wanted was to be with him. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what that meant.

I slipped out of bed before sunrise and quietly went out the patio door to sit outside on one of the chaise lounges. My birthday was in less than a week. I hadn't told Eric when my birthday was. Usually, I went to Gran's for dinner with my family but I started thinking maybe I wanted to spend the night with Eric instead. I would need to talk to Sam about taking a night off. Maybe I'd hold off until July third and take that night off instead.

I started thinking about what Pam said to me in the kitchen about love, and then what my mother said to me in my dream. Was she referring to Eric when she talked about loving him like she couldn't do for me? Or maybe she was talking about Sam or Jason? I had no idea. My brain was starting to hurt from all the thinking I was doing.

I went back inside just after sunrise and found Eric hadn't moved at all in the hour or so I was outside. I got back into bed with him and wasn't the least bit surprised when he turned on his side and spooned up behind me. What once felt safe and reassuring now scared the hell out of me. I knew I was falling for him. I'd been thinking about that for weeks.

But now the question was whether or not I had fallen. Telling him I loved him meant me making myself vulnerable. Losing Bill had been hard but I was sure losing Eric would be even harder. If just being away from him for a few hours felt like an eternity, I couldn't imagine what it would be like if we broke up. Why my brain insisted on going to the negative place, I wasn't sure.

Then again, maybe I wasn't afraid of it not working out. Maybe what scared me was that I had found the one I was supposed to be with. There was a lot about Eric I still didn't know. It seemed illogical to me that I would love him and not know so many things. Even the most basic things were a mystery to me. I didn't know his favorite color, food or holiday. I didn't know where he'd gotten most of his scars from, although knowing about his previous job, I could guess.

I didn't know what he wanted in his future. He was currently living off his trust fund but I didn't think he'd be satisfied with that for the rest of his life. I knew he liked traveling. What if he decided one day he was tired of Shreveport and wanted to spend time somewhere else? It wasn't as if I could just pack up and go with him.

This of course got me thinking about what I wanted for my own future. For the longest time I didn't think I wanted marriage. My own parents' divorce had shaken my faith in the whole concept. How well could we ever really know someone? Dad had been so sure Mom was the right woman for him. He'd married her thinking he would spend the rest of his life with her, loving her and raising their family together.

But Mom wasn't what she claimed to be. She married Dad without telling him the full story about who she was. I could avoid making that same mistake by being completely honest with Eric. I didn't have many skeletons in my closet because I had played it relatively safe, emotionally speaking. He, on the other hand, had lived a fairly dangerous life. I was sure he'd probably accumulated a few enemies in his time and that made me nervous.

Did that mean there was a target on his back? Was I in danger just by being with him? And what about the things Amelia said? Even though I told myself I was ridiculous for even considering it, what if, just by some small sliver of a chance, Amelia was right? What if Eric got bored with me? What if I wasn't enough?

All this thought before seven in the morning was bad for me and apparently, Eric could sense my tension. His eyes fluttered open to find me looking right at him. His eyes were so beautiful and expressive and I noticed there was something in the way he was looking at me that hadn't been there the day before. Somehow, overnight, things had changed. Not in a bad way, but they had changed.

"I think I'm in love with you," I blurted out.

I didn't intend to say it at all, much less blurt it out like that, but there it was. The words were hanging between us and the fact that Eric wasn't saying anything convinced me I'd just made a huge mistake. For all the thinking I had been doing, my brain picked a hell of a time to malfunction. What was wrong with me, just blurting those words like that? They had practically exploded out of my mouth before I knew what I was saying.

Eric kept quiet for a moment and moved his hand so his fingers tapped my forehead gently. "Been doing a lot of thinking this morning, have we?"

I nodded and said, "I didn't sleep well last night."

His eyes searched mine. I'm not sure what he saw but he said, "How about we take that off the table until you know it, and not just think it?"

I felt the weight of the world slip away and I could breathe again. He wasn't running or freaked out. He wasn't making any declarations of his own but I didn't want him to. Just the fact that he was so calm made me feel better and that warmth in my chest grew a little.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything," I whispered.

"Sookie, if there's one thing I learned over the years; it's that you should never apologize for being honest about your feelings. Humans have a tendency of waiting too long to say what's in their hearts. While I might not be in love with you yet, I definitely have feelings for you and they grow everyday," he told me with a soft smile and moved his fingers to tilt my chin up.

He kissed me then, morning breath and all, and I didn't care that neither of us had brushed. Maybe that's what love was; kissing someone and not caring about not having brushed first. I smiled at the idea and then rolled on top of him to keep on kissing him for a while.

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><p><strong>Wooo Sookie can sure get lost in her own head, can't she? I still don't know what to make of Pam, and this is after having written a chapter that explains why she is the way she is. She's a head scratcher this time around, I'll tell you. Oh well...next chapter is the one you've all been waiting for. Finally! Lemons! Thanks for reading!<strong>

OH! And before I forget **MissDetria** posted a fantastic one shot last night called "At Your Best" y'all should read if you like a sassy Sookie or that delicious tangy flavor of citrus. You can find a link to it in my profile under my favorite stories.


	19. At Last

**I feel it is my duty as an author, and a reader of alerts the second they come in no matter where I am when I get them, to inform you that the second half of this chapter is **_**not safe for work**_**. I don't want any baby birds getting fired on account of all the dirty words and explicit actions happening. That's right, dear readers, we have Tropicana Pure Premium goodness here, and then some. Eric has a dirty mouth in the sack, and apparently, he brings it out of Sookie as well. Sooo, yeah…this chapter should come with a virtual pack of smokes and a glass of wine….**

**I'll shut up now and see you at the bottom.**

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><p><span>Chapter 19: At Last<span>

It felt like everything was happening all at once. I was used to a life where not much happened and when it did, it didn't all happen at the same time. In the span of a month Sam's mother was murdered, his crush on me had come back full force, I'd graduated college, my brother's marriage was collapsing and I had found and nearly fallen in love with an amazing man who surprised me on a daily basis in one way or another. It was a lot to take in and a lot of change.

I used to think I was pretty well adjusted. I was good at rolling with the punches on account of my parents' divorce at an early age. We went from living in our own place to living with Gran for a few years while Jason and I were still young since Dad couldn't be in two places at once. He didn't want us raising ourselves while he was at work and he couldn't sacrifice his hours at the garage. Living with Gran was the most logical thing and we'd lived there until Jason got to high school.

Maybe that was the wrong time to move out. Getting to high school meant we were one step closer to adulthood but Jason had gone whole hog. Well, actually, he seemed to take the Greg Brady approach to high school. He wanted to be given the privileges of being an adult while maintaining the accountability of a child. It didn't work both ways and as a result, he and Dad would argue more often than not.

Unlike my brother, I was in no hurry to grow up. Maybe I just paid more attention to the struggles my dad faced as a result of being a single father, solely responsible for the welfare of two teenagers. Whatever the reason, I preferred a quieter life. I'd dealt with enough change to last me quite a while and I was perfectly content to just take things day to day.

I once heard somewhere that nothing new comes into your life until you're thankful for what you already have. I'd never given the idea much thought until I found myself sitting on my front porch the night before my twenty-third birthday. Eric was inside taking a shower after helping me with some of the yard work in my backyard. Pam was still staying with him and she was wearing out her welcome.

Actually, I'm not really all that sure she was ever welcome to begin with, but Eric didn't kick her out. I got the impression they were very similar to Jason and me, whereas they could give each other all kinds of hell but the second anyone else decided to do it, they had each others back like no one else ever would. I was no closer to understanding what was going on with my own brother. All I knew was that Crystal had been staying in Hot Shot for the last few days and Jason was going slightly crazy.

For starters, Crystal had taken Syd with her, and that just wouldn't do. Whatever was wrong in their relationship had no bearing on the kind of father Jason was, and he was shockingly committed to his daughter. There was nothing he wouldn't do for her, whether it was lassoing the moon or giving her a kidney. At first I'd found humor in watching him sing nursery rhymes to get her to stop crying, but then when I saw how much he loved her and how desperate he was to make her happy, I was overcome with a newfound admiration for him.

Then there was Sam, who was struggling in his new role in Tommy's life. At least, I liked to think his struggle was with Tommy and not because I was dating someone. I couldn't help remembering what he'd said to me the night of the funeral after he kissed me. He'd told me someday I was going to find someone I was crazy about, and he was right. Being around Sam was difficult because I didn't want him to think I was flaunting Eric in his face but I didn't want to ignore him either. There was a fine line to walk and I was still finding the balance.

I thought maybe if the two of them got to know one another better, Sam would see Eric wasn't interested in coming between us. He'd known from the start that Sam was important to me and that wasn't going to change just because I started dating someone. Dividing my time was difficult. Between work, family, searching for a teaching job and Eric, I was stretched pretty thin. The worst of it was; I was willing to put it all to the back of the line if it meant spending more time with Eric.

Somewhere in my head I knew it was just because Eric was still new and exciting. Those chemicals that get released in a person's brain when they find someone they're attracted to, or falling in love with, were floating all through me. My judgment was a little clouded because of it. Being with Eric was like an escape from the rest of my life, even though I shared everything with him. He knew all about the troubles I was having and he did his best to both guide me through it _and_ help me forget for a little while.

Even though I'd told Dad not to get me anything for graduation, he'd done so anyway. Just the night before he'd come over and installed two window unit air conditioners in my house. There was now air conditioning in my living room and bedroom. Finally, I wouldn't be sweltering quite so much when I was home. Eric could find refuge in my house just the same as I could his without us feeling like we were spending the night in a sweat lodge.

I worried, however, that since the house belonged to Joe, my days might be numbered there. The case against him was building and Sam told me Portia was doing more and more digging into Joe's financial history and it wasn't looking good. A forensic accountant was going over Joe's records and there were red flags popping up all over the place. What, exactly, they were dealing with they weren't sure just yet.

But it looked like Joe was in some serious debt, which would explain why he had forged those documents to change the beneficiary on Marjorie's life insurance. I hadn't seen the forms myself but Sam had gotten a peek at them. The signature was so far off from Marjorie's that he was left scratching his head, wondering how in the world Joe ever thought he was going to get away with it. The whole thing was beyond my comprehension. I just couldn't wrap my head around the idea of killing someone else for money. Maybe that made me naïve, but I just couldn't get my brain to think along those lines.

I heard Eric coming down the stairs. I brought my feet up to the railing and flexed my legs to push myself back and forth on the swing. He came out of the house a few seconds later in a pair of basketball shorts and a tight black tank top. I smiled at him as he walked toward me and then sat down beside me on the swing.

"Feel better?" I kissed his cheek.

"Much," his long legs were stretched way out in front of him and crossed at the ankles.

"Good. Thank you for your help," I rested my head on his shoulder.

"You're welcome," he reached for my hand.

We were quiet for a while, just watching the moon come up for the night. Slowly, stars started to appear in the inky night sky. Mosquitoes started to make their presence known as well, which meant it was time for us to head inside. Already I had a few nasty bites on my legs and it wasn't even July yet. I closed up the windows in the house and started the air conditioning so it would be nice and cool by the time we were ready to go to bed.

"So a little birdie told me tomorrow is a special day," Eric said once we were snuggled on the couch together.

"Oh really?" I arched an eyebrow at him.

"I know you have plans for dinner with your family already," he said, although how he knew that, I wasn't sure. "But I was thinking maybe, if you're not already booked up, we could spend the fourth together."

"You've never done fourth of July in Bon Temps, have you?" I shook my head.

"No," he answered.

"The fourth is a big deal around these parts. The rednecks, in particular, have a tendency make damn fools of themselves and it is _really_ entertaining to watch."

"Is it?"

I nodded and said, "Catfish Hennessy, my brother's boss on the road crew, puts American flags up all over town like some patriotic Santa Claus in the middle of the night. Mrs. Fortenberry has this ridiculous red, white and blue muumuu she wears every year, regardless of what the weather is like. Jane Bodehouse gets stinking drunk on Jell-o shots and ends up flashing everyone at Gertie Mayflower's party…" I dissolved into giggles just thinking about it but Eric didn't seem nearly as amused. "You have to see it for yourself."

"Sounds like an interesting day," he tried to sound interested.

"It is," I played with his fingers. "But if you would rather go away somewhere just the two of us, I could be okay with that, too."

As a matter of fact, it would be nice to go off somewhere on our own and not have anyone around to bug us. The idea of getting lost on some deserted island had all kinds of appeal at that moment. No cell phones, no neighbors popping in or family members bugging us with their problems; just Eric and me left to our own devices. I giggled internally at the idea of being in a situation similar to _Blue Lagoon_ or _Lost_, minus all the crazy science fiction smog monster stuff.

"Are you sure? I wouldn't want to deprive you of your favorite holiday in your hometown," Eric said in a somewhat teasing tone.

"Yes, I'm sure. Besides, I'm sure you and I can find a few ways to get crazy all on our own," I smirked at him.

"I happen to think nothing says the fourth of July like body shots," he informed me in a very serious tone.

"Body shots?" I arched an eyebrow at him.

"Yes, ma'am. You've done those before, haven't you?"

I flushed a little and said, "Just once at Amelia's twenty-first birthday part."

"And were you the drinker, or the shot holder?" Eric's eyes were all lit up with curiosity and amusement.

"I was the shot holder. Well, my cleavage was the shot holder," I clarified for him.

"That doesn't sound very dignified, Miss Stackhouse," he whispered in my ear. "I think your Gran would be scandalized if she knew."

I bit back a smile since Eric clearly didn't know much about Gran's wilder streak when she was younger. I'd heard a few stories that shocked me, but I was glad to have heard them. By today's comparison it was no big deal, but for her time, Gran was a bit of a hellraiser in her own right. Using what God gave me as a cup holder wouldn't be all that shocking to Gran. All the same, I was willing to play along with Eric because he never disappointed when I did.

"You won't tell her, will you?" I batted my eyelashes at him.

"For a price, I might be willing to keep my silence," his eyes took on that dangerous gleam that let me know I was about to enjoy every second of the trouble I was asking for.

**o.O.o.O.o**

Eric ended up chasing me up the stairs to my bedroom. I hadn't realized it was midnight, which meant it was officially my birthday. He tackled me back onto my bed which was too small for him, but he slept on it without complaint. He managed to get me over his lap so my ass was sticking up in the air. Without warning he slapped my backside, getting a yelp and a laugh from me.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" I asked over my shoulder.

"Birthday spanking," he grinned at me.

I froze for a second, not sure how I wanted to play my hand here. I knew I had to make a decision quickly and Eric would oblige me either way. He never pushed for anything more than I could give but he also tested my boundaries. I trusted him enough to know he wouldn't push too hard or let me get hurt. Because of that, we could be a little rougher with each other than I had been with anyone in the past. I knew he wouldn't take it too far and he would stop if I was uncomfortable.

At the same time, it seemed too soon to get that adventurous and I knew if the idea of spanking me was a turn-on for him, it would be nearly impossible to stop myself from agreeing to sex. Not that I didn't want to have sex with him because I did, but I wanted something different for my first time with him. I wanted something a little more romantic than a spanking, anyway.

"Not today, but maybe another time?" I offered him an alternative since it was something I was willing to try once.

He pulled me into his lap so I was straddling him instead, looked me deep in my eyes and then kissed me for all he was worth. Every single thing he felt for me, I felt in that kiss. Anything I might want to know about where I stood with him or the way he felt about me was right there. No one had ever kissed me so passionately in my life and I swear it started a fire inside me.

When the kiss broke, I drew in oxygen quickly and when I had enough air to speak I said, "Make love to me."

It was time. I knew it. I could feel it. It was a new year in my life and I wanted to start it with him in the best way I possibly could. I leaned in and returned the kiss he had just given me; doing everything I could to make sure he knew my request was genuine. I wanted him, all of him. I wanted to feel him everywhere, all around me and in me. I needed it more than I needed my next breath.

I didn't want to stop kissing him but I had to if I was going to get my clothes off. Being naked in front of him was easy; it felt natural. As he had done several times since getting the green light from me the week before, he began his descent down to the space between my thighs that he seemed to fit in so perfectly. My fingers tangled in his hair and my eyes closed at the first touch of his tongue against my already slick folds.

He was a master at his craft and he used every skill he had to keep me on the edge for as long as I could stand it before that gentle curling of his fingers to stroke the magic spot inside me sent me hurdling into outer space. In the wake of the sexual progression of our relationship, we'd had the birth control talk. I was on the pill and had been since I was in high school, which was awkward since my father knew about it. I'd remained a virgin for much longer after I first started the pill, but that didn't really cut down my embarrassment any at the time.

I left the decision of whether or not to use condoms as well up to him. Given that this was somewhat of an impromptu situation, I wasn't sure he had any with him. I knew I didn't. He kissed his way up my body and I tasted myself on him as I had done before. His fingers continued to pump inside me stroking me through my aftershocks. His kisses were feather light and barely ghosted along my jaw and neck.

The sudden absence of his fingers inside me was barely felt before his weight shifted and I felt his erection positioning at my entrance. I had planned on reciprocating the pleasure he had given me, but that didn't seem to be in the program. His eyes met mine, questioning me silently to make sure this was what I wanted. I nodded resolutely and put my hands on his hips to pull him forward into me.

"Ugh," I groaned when he began to enter me. "Go slow," I whispered, even though he had just prepared me.

He did as I asked, pushing in a little before retreating, only to push in again a little deeper than before. There was the delicious tightness of being stretched slowly, my body expanding to take him into me. Our lips met over and over, his kisses punctuating his thrusts. Slowly and gently he moved, never pressing too hard or too fast.

"You're so fucking beautiful," he whispered in my ear, the curse word making his compliment sexy and not just sweet. "So wet and tight."

I moaned again and pulled his hips a little closer to me and when his pelvis was finally flush against mine; there was this feeling of completion that rolled through me in warm waves. This was how it was supposed to be. It felt amazing and we were nowhere near finished. His hips pulled back and then thrust forward; slowly, at first, but gathering more and more speed as my body adjusted.

"Ugh, Eric, more," I pleaded and my hands gripped that beautiful butt of his, my fingers digging into it slightly.

"Oh fuck, Sookie," he looked down to see where we were joined and watched as his cock entered and retreated over and over. He began to ride me harder, which made me cry out louder. "Your pussy feels so fucking good."

The dirty talk was unexpected but only turned me on more. It unleashed something in me, and the need for slow and sweet lovemaking disappeared. I pushed his shoulders and we rolled over so I was on top of him. His hands linked with mine and I began to move up and down on him.

"Yes, that's it, lover, ride my cock," he growled and I moaned again, feeling the first tremors of an orgasm deep in my belly. "I love the way your tits bounce when you're fucking yourself on my cock."

The onslaught of dirty words was doing all sorts of things to me I wasn't expecting but I loved it. I wanted to hear more. "Fuck, Eric," I muttered, my brain starting to fail me. "Fuck me, baby," was all I could get out.

He let go of my hands, grabbed onto my hips and thrust up hard. I screamed and dug my nails into his wrists, panting and rolling my hips to meet his thrusts. I felt the weight of my breasts bouncing on my chest and the slapping of his thighs against my ass. I was never more aware of my body than I was in those moments.

"Harder, Eric. Fuck me harder," I pleaded, knowing my orgasm was close.

I grabbed his hands and pinned them near his ears since I wasn't tall enough to hold them over his head. The move put my breasts in his face, which he immediately lunged forward to attack. His knees bent, planting his feet flat on the mattress so he could thrust up even harder. I screamed again and rocked my hips against him to get the friction I needed on my clit.

"Oh God! Oh God! Yes! Yes! Oh fuck! Don't stop! Don't fucking stop!" I screamed. My knuckles were white from holding his wrists so tightly.

It was a slight swivel of his hips during the relentless pounding that pushed me over the edge, and my mouth opened in a silent scream when I came. I felt my juices practically rain down on him, I came so hard. My body shook and my emotions hit me full force. Love, I definitely felt love. All of my attempts to talk myself out of it were fruitless. I was in love with him, and I knew it wasn't just the immense orgasm. It had been there all along, I just wasn't brave enough to admit it.

Eric lifted me off of him once the spasms stopped and got up on his knees. He pushed me forward and put my hands on my headboard so I had something to hold on to before he entered me again swiftly from behind. My juices ran down my thighs, getting me a little wetter every time Eric pulled out. He reached around and rubbed my clit before leaning forward to whisper in my ear.

"Do you like being fucked from behind, Sookie?" he asked and I nodded. "Tell me," he said with a nip to my shoulder.

I looked over my shoulder at him. "I love the way your cock fills me from behind, Eric. Oh, fuck, don't stop," I moaned again.

I couldn't ever remember being so vocal during sex. I wasn't usually one for dirty words and what have you, but Eric brought it out of me. My energy fed off of his, and the harder he fucked me, the harder I wanted him to do it. Maybe I was wrong all this time about the slow and gentle stuff being what I wanted most. I didn't know and I didn't care. All that mattered just then was exactly what was happening, and it was fantastic.

"I won't stop," he promised and grabbed my shoulder, pulling me back on to him. "I won't stop until you tell me that tight little pussy of yours can't take anymore."

"Oh God," I quivered at the idea of spending the rest of the night with him inside me. I would be sore as hell the next day, maybe for a few days, but it would be worth it.

He began circling my clit again and almost immediately, I felt the waves building in my belly. I was going to come again, and it was going to be just as hard as before. Recognizing the signs, Eric grabbed my hip with his other hand, holding me in place while he fucked me. "Cum for me, Sookie," he said with authority.

I did. My body was more than willing to give in to his demand, and it did as it was told. I screamed, shook, spasmed and collapsed in the span of a minute. While his stamina was impressive, I knew it had to give out sometime. I was still experiencing sharp aftershocks when Eric let go, and came deep inside me. I squeezed my thighs together in attempts to further milk the orgasm from him.

He shouted something in a language I didn't understand, but I didn't really need to. He fell forward, sending us both face down into the mattress. We were gasping for air and clinging to each other as much as we could with our muscles being so weak and spent. Our hands found each other and our fingers laced together. I turned my head as much as I could and he kissed me deeply, leaving me without any reservations over whether or not his feelings had changed.

When he pulled out, he did so slowly and immediately turned me over and pulled me into his arms. We were sticky with each others fluids but neither of us seemed to care. I was pretty sure we weren't finished for the night and I was thankful there was a spare set of sheets in the hall closet. We were going to need them.

"You amaze me, Sookie," he whispered and kissed my head.

"I've never had an orgasm that powerful in my whole life," I responded with a kiss on his chest.

We lay there together for a while, just breathing and trying to get our heart rates back to normal. My hand decided it was time for round two, and reached to start stroking him back to life. I could feel his lips curl up in a smile, which, in turn, made me smile as well. I turned a little so I was closer to being on my stomach and kept stroking.

"What did you say when you came?" I asked him.

"What?" he looked confused.

"When you came, you shouted something in a different language. What did you say?" I asked and swirled my thumb over the head of his growing erection.

He grunted and said, "It was just gibberish."

I arched an eyebrow in attempts to call bullshit but he nodded vehemently. "Gibberish, huh?" More nodding.

"Sookie, really, it was no big-" he stopped talking then because my mouth took the place of my hand. "Fuck," he growled.

I sucked, licked, swirled and stroked until he was close to another orgasm before releasing him from my mouth. He groaned in disappointment, clearly frustrated that I wasn't letting him finish. "Still just gibberish?" I asked.

"You're an evil woman and you will pay for that," he warned me.

I shrugged and climbed on top of him again. He held my hips up so I couldn't slam down like I wanted to. The earlier conversation came full circle when I mocked, "What are you going to do, spank me?"

The dangerous look in his eyes told me it was a possibility. Yet, instead of being scared, I was hoping I was right.

* * *

><p><strong>Looks like Sook's ready to let her freak flag fly and this is just the beginning. For all you True Blood watchers, I hope the episode is better than this chapter was. The best part of True Blood, imho, is getting a weekly Skarsfix. God, I miss that man's face (among other parts)! *is addicted like whoa* Happy viewing and thanks for reading!<strong>


	20. A Moment Changes Everything

**Two things I need to mention here:**

1. I know everyone is super jazzed about the new season of True Blood but please, if you want to discuss the show, send me a PM instead of putting it in a public review where everyone can see it. Or, even better, send me and on twitter. You can find me as **makesmyheadspin**. I'm trying to avoid spoilers this season, and so far I've done pretty well, so please be considerate of that not only for me, but for the others out there who are also avoiding them. Thank you!

2. This chapter isn't really all that safe for work either, so read at your own risk if you're in an office environment.

Now that I've gotten that out of the way, on with the show!

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 20: A Moment Changes Everything<span>

I woke up naked and alone. I had a moment of complete and total panic. What if we had gone too far the night before? But no, that couldn't be it. By the time we had passed out, the sun was just rising. We were sticky, sweaty and barely sated. If my body would have let me, I would have kept going. Sex had never been more fun or meaningful to me and even though I'd had plenty in the last twelve hours, I wanted more.

Where was Eric?

His clothes were still on my bedroom floor, so he couldn't have gone very far. The clock told me it was early afternoon, but I wondered how long I had been sleeping alone. I got out of bed and put on his t-shirt. It was the thing all girlfriends were supposed to do, wasn't it? I didn't bother with panties before going to the bathroom. I was creaky and sore, but in no way complaining. I shivered at the thought of all the different positions Eric had managed to get me into, and the new things I had discovered I liked.

He had awakened something in me I didn't know existed, and it made my feelings for him grow a little more. The love I felt the night before was still there. I hadn't said it yet, but I made a promise to myself a long time ago I would never tell someone I loved them for the first time in the middle of sex. It would be too easy to deny it later and chock it all up to orgasmic haze, or a moment of insanity caused by pleasure. When I told him I loved him, I didn't want there to be any reason for him to doubt I was telling the truth.

I located a washcloth and dampened it with warm water. I was still sensitive and swollen between my legs, and I was careful with the cloth as I cleaned myself up. The last round had zapped whatever energy we had left, and we had both fallen asleep before either of us could even consider getting out of bed for clean up. When I was done in the bathroom, I went back to my bedroom and pulled the sheets off the bed. No doubt they were nearly as sticky as I was and needed a trip to the washing machine.

I grabbed the spare set from the hall closet and started making my bed again. When I was finished with that, I bundled up the dirty sex sheets and carried them downstairs with me in hopes of finding Eric somewhere. The smell of coffee greeted me half way down and I smiled. I dropped the sheets on the dining room floor on my way to the kitchen. I found Eric fighting with my waffle maker and cleared my throat from the doorway.

He turned quickly and grinned at me. "Good morning, you," he said as he approached me.

"Good _afternoon_," I corrected and accepted the kiss he offered me. It was sweet and gentle, which was what I needed just then.

He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me toward the waffle maker. "This contraption doesn't much care for me," he admitted.

"Awww, baby," I'd started calling him that last night and he didn't seem to mind. I giggled and said, "Like just about everything in this house, you have to show it whose boss."

He squeezed my backside and moved out of the way so I could show him how the waffle maker worked. In no time at all, we had a stack of beautiful waffles that were ready to be eaten. Eric apologized to me, having planned to bring me breakfast but I kind of liked sitting down at my kitchen table with him. Yes, breakfast in bed would have been romantic and probably would have led to dirty things, but I liked the simplicity of sitting at the table and eating together.

Besides, when I reached up into a cabinet for the syrup, his shirt rid up and Eric ended up attacking me anyway. Our waffles were slightly chilled by the time he was finished with me, but they were delicious. He must have made a trip to the grocery store since he had fresh strawberries all sliced up and I knew I didn't have any in the house the night before. We cleaned up together after we ate and then I got the laundry started while Eric went upstairs to take a shower.

I wanted to go upstairs and surprise him but my body warned me I needed to slow down or I was going to find myself on the disabled list. I wasn't used to being in a hyper sexual state. Even will Bill I had never been like this, and we had gone through a phase where we were having sex pretty often. But then, I couldn't even really compare the two as lovers, and the sex with Eric was infinitely better.

But instead of going upstairs and attacking Eric like I wanted to, I forced myself to calm down a little and go outside to water my flowers so they wouldn't dry up and die. It was the first day of July and it seemed we were in for another scorcher. By the time I came inside I was all sweaty, which got my newfound case of gutter brain all fired up again and thinking about the night before. I had no idea how I was going to get through dinner at my Gran's that night and if I wasn't sure she'd have my butt for it, I would have called and canceled.

Instead, I called her up and asked her if she'd mind setting a place for one more. When I told her I wanted Eric to come along, she had no problem with that whatsoever, and was actually delighted at the prospect of seeing him again. I wondered if she would still feel that way when I had trouble keeping my hands to myself. Then again, knowing Gran, she would probably think it was cute. Dad and Jason, on the other hand, might be less than thrilled.

While I was a grown woman, I knew they both saw me as little Sookie with pigtails in my hair, playing with my Barbie dolls and whatnot. Eric might have avoided a warning from them earlier to treat me right but he wouldn't be able to escape it after this. I was in the midst of fighting my wardrobe to find an appropriate dress for dinner that night when Eric came out of the bathroom. He had a towel wrapped around his hips and water was still dripping from him.

I bit my lip and forced myself to look in my closet instead of at his body. But that only worked as long as he kept his hands off me, which he clearly had no intention of doing since he walked up behind me and put his hands on my hips. "Your turn," he breathed in my ear and pulled his shirt off of me.

Yeah, I guess he would need that back since he didn't have other clothes with him and walking around shirtless was a surefire way to make it impossible for us to get to Gran's for dinner. Only he dropped the shirt on the floor and attacked my neck with kisses. His hands moved from my hips to my breasts and kneaded gently, which was good since they were a little sore, too. My body just wasn't used to all the attention it was getting.

"I miss you," he whispered in my ear and I would have laughed, except I knew what he meant and I felt the same.

"I need to get in the shower," I panted through his attentions, hoping it sounded more convincing to him than it did to me.

"You will," he promised but then dragged me back to bed.

**o.O.o.O.o**

By the time we got to Gran's later in the evening I had a case of permagrin and it seemed Eric did, too. We were constantly touching each other; whether we were holding hands, slightly snuggled or he just had his hand on the small of my back. He never let me get too far from him, not that I wanted to be. Just separating long enough to go to the bathroom was a problem and I wondered what I was going to do when I had to go back to work the next day.

I was never more grateful that he had suggested we go away somewhere for the fourth, seeing as how we definitely couldn't molest each other in my Gran's backyard in the middle of her annual barbecue. When I told her Eric and I wouldn't be able to make it, she gave me a knowing smile and her blessing to go off and have fun.

"He's a nice young man, Sookie, and I can see why you'd want to get him alone," Gran gave me a wink that made me blush.

"Is it that obvious, Gran?" I asked her quietly while helping her with the clean up after supper.

"Honey, I'm getting on in years, but I remember what young love looks like," Gran smiled over at me. "And that man…well, I think it's safe to say he's as hooked on you as you are on him."

"You think so?" I asked nervously.

"I do," Gran nodded and handed over a casserole dish for me to dry and put up where it belonged.

When the cleaning was done I went outside to check on the boys while Gran gave Syd a bottle, and found Dad, Jason and Eric all nosing around under the hood of Eric's car. They were talking about engines and whatever when I approached. I wrapped my arms around Eric from behind and scratched lightly at his stomach.

"What are y'all talking about?" I asked, not that I really cared.

"This here's a meeting of the He-Man Woman Haters Club," Jason stuck his tongue out me.

"Oh yeah? Well, I'm fixing to steal your newest member," I squeezed Eric around his waist and knew my breasts rubbing against his back was probably a form of torture.

"Excuse me, boys, it seems I'm needed elsewhere," Eric stepped back and I turned my face away from my father and brother so they wouldn't see me grin.

I led Eric around the other side of the house to where there was a blind spot so no one would be able to see us from inside the house. Not that it mattered since it was just Gran and Syd in there and I knew Gran was in the living room giving Syd a bottle. Eric pushed me up against the wall and laid one of those toe curling kisses on me. My brain went fuzzy and I had a hard time remembering why I wanted to talk to him in the first place.

Did I really just want a minute alone with him just so I could kiss him? It seemed entirely plausible. I felt his hand sliding up my skirt and an alarm went off in my head. Just because no one could see from inside the house didn't mean Dad or Jason couldn't come around any minute and catch us. I tried to push his hand away but he wasn't having it. I was both grateful and annoyed when Jason starting hollering for Eric and me to come inside.

"Gran says it's time to cut the cake!" Jason called out, effectively stopping Eric's hand from getting in my panties.

"This isn't over, lover; just wait until we get home," Eric warned and a chill went through me.

We went inside, hand in hand, and I took my seat of honor at the head of the table where Gran usually sat. I smiled while the others sang me _Happy Birthday_ and made my wish before blowing out my candles. It was terrible how I wanted to rush through the rest of the evening and get back to my house to be alone with Eric. The more I tried not to think about it the more my body cried out in defiance.

What the hell was wrong with me? In less than twenty-four hours I went from normal to a girl who couldn't get enough. Every time Eric looked at me all I wanted was to drop my panties and lay down on the nearest flat surface. Hell, even that wasn't necessary since I'd learned he was perfectly capable of fucking me when we were standing. I shivered at the thought of what I'd done in my kitchen earlier that morning and while I'm sure no one believed it for a second, I had the brilliant idea to fake a headache so we could leave.

I thanked everyone for their gifts and Gran for making me dinner and baking my traditional birthday cake. She sent the rest of it home with Eric and me, claiming she would never be able to finish it off on her own. We got in the car and no sooner was Eric pulling away than I was trying to figure out if I could get my panties off without him noticing. It didn't take long for us to get back to my house. He parked behind my car in the driveway and followed me inside.

I set the cake down on the counter in the kitchen and kicked off my shoes. I didn't get much farther before I was up against the wall and Eric's hand was up my skirt again. He growled when I didn't try to stop his hand from getting in my panties and he realized how wet I was. Thinking about him all night long had definitely been a turn on and the evidence was nearly running down my thighs.

"What dirty thoughts have you been thinking, my lover?" he whispered in my ear while his fingers teased my clit.

I moaned and said, "I've been thinking about you inside me. It's all I can think about."

He pressed himself against me and the fact that he was rock hard and ready to go didn't escape me. I guess I wasn't the only one thinking those dirty thoughts. I got his pants open and pushed down. He tore off my panties and then spun me around so I was facing the wall. My hips pushed back against him, angling my ass up in the air as much as I could. He gathered my skirt up around my waste and positioned himself at my entrance.

"Happy birthday, Sookie," he said and then slid inside me.

"Oh fuck," I moaned and grabbed at my breasts, pinching my nipples and trying to back up to meet his thrusts.

When our height difference became too big an obstacle, he pulled out and turned me around before lifting me up and sliding me down on his cock. He walked while he fucked me, which was both impressive and new. We managed to get all the way to the stairs before he pulled out again. He chased me up the stairs the same as he had done before, but I stopped at the top step and got on my knees in front of him. My hand circled his cock and started stroking before leaning forward and taking him in my mouth.

His hands were in my hair, holding it away from my face while I fucked him with my mouth. When I pulled back a few minutes later his eyes were glazed over and I was on my feet and running again before he knew what was happening. He caught me in my bedroom and threw me down on the mattress. My old bed creaked under the weight and bouncing of our bodies. I turned so I was on all fours before he entered me again.

The delicious sting of his hand slapping my ass only spurned me on and I swear I felt like I wasn't even in my own body. I was like a woman possessed. I grabbed at the sheets, the blankets, his hands, anything I could get a hold of. A stream of dirty words left my mouth and there was another slap on my backside. I lowered my head so I was face down in the mattress. I was certainly getting my wish.

I came once and he flipped me over and kept right on pounding into me. He watched when I reached down to touch myself, something I never had the confidence to do in the past. "You look so fucking sexy when you cum," he told me and pumped his hips a little harder.

"Your cock feels so fucking good, baby," I groaned and wondered how long it would be before I didn't want him in me every second of every day. I certainly couldn't keep this up forever. Medically speaking, neither could he.

He growled at me and pushed my legs together, making him feel impossibly bigger inside me. I cried out with every thrust of his hips, saying all sorts of things I never ever thought I would say, and praying for the amazing feelings I was feeling to never end. Just as he had before, he let out a roar when he came. I was going to have to change my sheets again in the morning.

We collapsed on the bed, both of us sweating and fighting for air. My core was still contracting with aftershocks and the gentle kisses he was pressing along my arm and back made the moment even better. I turned so we were face to face and kissed his lips before snuggling against him. For the moment, I felt better. I was sure, however, it was only a matter of time before that changed and I wanted him again.

"You're going to kill me, woman," Eric said happily and squeezed me tightly to him.

I giggled quietly, content to stay right where I was. We were quiet for a while, each of us lost in our own thoughts. When my eyes caught one of the many scars on his body, my fingers trace the spot and I broke the silence to say, "Tell me how you got this."

Eric shifted slightly and cleared his throat. "I got that in the line of duty from a guy who disagreed with my boss's assessment of the amount due."

"What happened?" I wanted more detail.

"He broke a bottle on a building and swung it at me," Eric said stiffly.

I turned in his arms and tilted his face toward mine. "Listen to me," I looked deep in his eyes. "I need you to hear this." Eric nodded slightly and I continued, "We all have a past. Yours is a little darker than most people's but when I look at you, I don't see that person you're ashamed of. I feel safe with you. I want to know you, Eric, even the dark parts. I'm not going to run away."

He exhaled slowly and pulled me closer to him again. He was quiet for a few minutes before I heard a sharp intake of breath. His chest moved strangely and it took a minute for me to figure out he was crying. I stayed quiet and let him have his moment. I wanted to comfort him but I was afraid to. I didn't know how vulnerable was too vulnerable for him and I didn't want to risk him shutting me out because _I_ wanted too much.

"You're the only person who has ever even tried to accept me for exactly what I am," he whispered and the acknowledgment meant more to me than I ever could have expressed.

"You are who you are," I whispered and kissed his chest, feeling my own emotions starting to get the better of me. "And I am crazy about you."

I couldn't tell him I loved him yet. Even though I felt it, I knew it was too soon, and probably would have been too much given the heaviness of the emotions we were already dealing with. I didn't really know what it felt like to be an outsider in my own life, but I could imagine it was hard feeling like I had to keep pieces of me hidden from the rest of the world. But if we were going to work, really work, I needed to know everything, and I wanted him to know me just as well.

Tears of relief turned into me kissing those tears away and then kisses of another kind. I'd asked him to make love to me the night before because it was what I thought I wanted, but when he rolled on top of me, I realized it was what _we_ needed. He was slow, gentle and kept looking deeply into my eyes. His kisses were feather light but made a point with each one he ghosted over my skin.

I felt connected to him in a way I hadn't before and when my orgasm found me, it seemed to last for longer than it ever had in the past. Eric's weight pressed against me never felt so good, nor did his puffs of breath on my shoulder while he tried to collect himself. The tenderness that passed between us reinforced my feelings for him and proved to me it wasn't just lust that was manufactured by the chemicals in my brain. He wasn't just in my head, he was in my heart.

He lifted up a little, brushed some hair away from my face and kissed me softly. I could have stayed that way all night.

* * *

><p><strong>I don't really have anything to say here except we're about to get to a rather fun part of the story that required I do some research. I'm such a geek sometimes. Oh, and MissDetria offered me SkarsPorn last night (I'd explain why but it's spoilery and I'd be a hypocrite for mentioning it here after my request up at the time). I almost feel like I'm going to be having a sleazy affair behind fanfic wife's back. *waits for dom!Eric to come punish me* Thanks for reading!<strong>

**OH! And if you've got a complaint about True Blood you just can't wait to vent, I co-run a community on livejournal called trueblood_rants and I post my weekly synopsis/reaction there if one of my other co-mods doesn't get a post going already for me. So if you've got something to say, come check it out. You have to have an account, unfortunately, to leave a comment. The link for this journal can by found by going to mine and looking in my sidebar links or, assuming FFN doesn't swallow the address like the greedy whore it is, the one below will help you.**

**http: /trueblood-rants(dot)livejournal(dot)com/**


	21. Something to Talk About

Chapter 21: Something to Talk About

Eric and I had our first fight when he told me what the plans were for the fourth of July. He wisely talked me into taking a week off from work _before_ he lowered the boom on me. Now don't get me wrong, his plans were wonderful and I was excited about it. He'd done a lot of work and made a lot of reservations. The problem was, and I know most people would say this _wasn't_ a problem; he wouldn't let me pay for anything.

"Sookie, I want to do this for you! Think of it as a birthday present," Eric insisted.

I glared at him and said, "The plane tickets, maybe, but I can't let you pay for the house, Eric. Then the rental car, groceries and whatever else on top of it? I appreciate that you want to do this for me, but you don't have to."

"Why are you fighting me on this, Sookie? Why won't you just let me do something nice for you?" Eric met my glare.

"Because I'm not a kept woman!" I shouted at him.

"Are you serious?" his eyebrows leapt up toward his hairline. "Wow. I didn't realize that by going away for the week, I was treating you like a whore."

I gasped and felt the urge to slap him, but I didn't. "You can be a real jerk, you know that?"

"And you can be a stubborn pain in my ass," he retorted.

"Fine! You know what? Why don't you just go to Key West by yourself? I wouldn't want to be a pain in your ass!" I turned on my heel and stomped toward the front door.

I don't know if I was expecting him to follow me or if maybe I thought I'd come to my senses, but neither of those things happened. The next thing I knew I was sitting in my car (not that I could start it since my keys were in my purse up in his bedroom), bawling my eyes out. I sat there for I don't know how long before he finally came outside and knocked on my window. My bratty side wanted to tell him to fuck off, but she'd already caused enough trouble. I opened the car door and he bent down, bracing his arm on the roof.

"I really hope you'll come back inside so we can discuss this rationally, but if you're really that set on leaving, you might want this," he held out my purse.

"I don't want to leave," I sobbed and didn't fight it when he pulled me out of the car.

His arms wrapped around me and I cried into his shirt. It was so stupid, really. I lost my temper and blew up at him for no good reason. I should have just taken a deep breath and kept calm. Unfortunately, my temper had a tendency to get the better of me sometimes; usually at the worst times.

We walked back into the house together and headed into the living room. We sat down on the couch side by side and I took a few deep breaths to try and get my emotions under control. I mentally did the math and figured out I was probably dealing with PMS, which didn't help matters all that much but I wasn't going to blame my little tantrum on it either. I would have blown my stack either way.

"Do you want to go first or should I?" Eric asked me and reached over to grab a tissue from the end table for me.

"I will, since I was the stubborn one," I sniffled. "Sorry, I didn't mean to throw that back at you. Look, I have issues when it comes to money, okay? Because I was raised by a single parent for most of my childhood, money was never something we had an abundance of. Even if we _had_ been a richer family, my father never would have been the type to spoil his kids rotten. He raised us to believe in hard work and living a life we could afford. We were taught from early on that it's important to pay your own way. I know your offer wasn't meant to offend me, but I need you to understand that my offer wasn't about offending you either."

"I know you work hard, Sookie. You work for everything you have and I know you don't expect me to take care of you. The money I'm using to pay for this trip is money I did nothing to deserve. It was given to me simply because I was born and my father needed somewhere to put it. It's not a reflection of a job well done, or hours spent toiling away at something. So the money just sits there and waits and waits and waits to be used for something meaningful. When I got the idea for us to go away together, finally, that money had a purpose. If it's really that important to you that we split the costs, we can do that. But I want you to know it's really not necessary and I would really like it if you _would_ let me do this for you," Eric tucked some of my hair behind my ear for me.

I took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. "I don't want this to be a habit, Eric."

"You mean I can't whisk you away every couple of weeks to new tropical locations?" he smirked at me.

"Only if I get to pay my half," I dabbed at my nose and Eric snickered next to me.

"So what's the verdict here, Sookie? Can we just leave things as they are, or do I have to get out my receipts so we can divide it all up?" Eric gave me an almost pleading look.

I sighed and said, "You win this one."

He managed to keep his grin in check before leaning forward and kissing me rather passionately. He pulled back and pressed his forehead to mine. "I'm sorry you were so upset. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

Oh, right, the making up portion. My heart fluttered a little and I said, "No, I'm sorry for being a big baby and not explaining myself better."

"It's forgiven," Eric looked me in my eyes as he said it, his thumbs stroking my neck.

I nodded, hoping he understood I forgave him, too, even though I didn't really think there was anything for me to forgive. He kissed me again and pulled me into his lap. What was it about making up that made making out seem like the natural response? I figured it was about reestablishing the connection you felt to the person you were kissing. There was that reassurance that things really were okay; the fight wasn't the end of the world.

Once our connection was properly established, I climbed off of Eric's lap and started for the kitchen. "Where are you going?" he asked from behind me, clearly not quite ready to give up on the making up just yet.

"To get started on dinner," I shrugged and kept on walking.

"Do I get to help?" he called after me.

"Not if you stay on the couch!" I shouted back and smiled to myself.

I was looking in the fridge to see what was available for dinner when Eric walked into the kitchen. "I need to go grocery shopping," he stood behind me with his chin on my head.

"I can see that," I didn't see anything that was going to work for dinner.

He shopped like a bachelor, I swear. There was never a shortage of frozen pizzas or hot wings, but I could only eat so much of that stuff. I loved my curves but I didn't want to be any chubbier than I was, especially if I was going to be spending pretty much a week straight in a bikini. After a quick trip to the grocery store to pick up something for dinner, Eric and I talked about his plans more in depth.

When we were done eating Eric started up his laptop and showed me the house we were going to be staying in for a week. It was a cute little place at the southern most point of Key West. It was more than big enough for just the two of us. There was a pool out back, not that I expected we'd need it, in a little lagoon-like area.

We would be flying out of Shreveport to Miami and then drive the three or so hours down to Key West. I had never been to Florida before and I was excited about the trip. Our flight was scheduled for eight the next morning and I still had to go home and pack. Since Eric hadn't told me right away what the plan was, or how long we were going to be gone, I didn't think I was going to need that much stuff. I figured I was mostly going to need bikinis and dresses but they weren't going to pack themselves.

Eric decided to just spend the night with me at my place since he was already packed for the trip. He stayed downstairs watching TV while I scurried around my bedroom, trying to find everything I was going to need for the next week. I felt bad about not giving Sam much notice about the time off I was going to need, but he had been agreeable to it. Arlene was looking for more hours since the kids were out of school and they were driving her crazy. Go figure.

I managed to get everything packed just before midnight. Eric put my bag in his car while I took a quick shower so I wouldn't have to do it in the morning. With our flight leaving early and all the security bullshit we had to go through, in addition to the near hour drive back to Shreveport, we were going to have to leave before five in the morning. It was ridiculous considering the flight only took a little more than an hour.

By the time we fell into bed that night, I was exhausted. Between the running around we had done earlier and then the fight we had, I was just spent. I couldn't even think of sexing him up, which was a nice change of pace. I dreamt, however, that he tried to get me to join the Mile High Club with him. I was willing to try a lot of things, but my modesty wasn't quite prepared to give public sex a go just yet. Baby steps were good.

The alarm went off way too soon, as far as I was concerned, but it seemed Eric had been up before that. I was just about to roll over and turn it off when I felt weight sink the mattress at my side, which was strange, because Eric had been sleeping on my _other_ side. Coffee. The smell of coffee hit me hard and fast and it was better than any alarm clock.

"Sookie, wake up," Eric whispered after turning off the annoying buzzer of the alarm clock.

"You made me coffee?" I asked without opening my eyes.

"Was there any way to get you out of bed without it?" he chuckled as my eyes opened to find him holding a large, steaming travel mug.

"You're the best boyfriend ever," I smiled sleepily and reached for the mug.

"Boyfriend, huh?" he seemed ridiculously amused with the term.

"Well you are," I shrugged, not caring as long as he handed over the mug. "What would you like me to call you?" I asked, knowing this had potential to be a dangerous question.

"I don't know," he admitted and I rolled my eyes.

"Can I have my coffee now please?" I moved my hands closer to the mug but he pulled it back. "Ugh! Eric, you know I'm no good without coffee and the sun is barely even up."

"I'm aware. I've already gone for a run and taken a shower," he winked at me.

"Oh, I guess I can call you my little overachiever then," I snarked at him, reaching for my coffee but he pulled it further away. "Errrrrrrrric…" I whined in a most undignified manner, sitting up to go after my coffee. "I'll tackle you," I threatened.

"And ruin your coffee? I don't think so," he gave me one of those smug looks that made me want to smack him and jump him at the same time.

"I don't like you anymore," I sank back in bed and turned away from him on my side.

He leaned down and whispered in my ear, "I was just looking for a 'good morning' from you, that's all.

Jerk. I turned on my back, stared right up at him and said, "Good morning." When he smiled and handed over my coffee, I added, "Jerk."

"Brat," he responded before kissing my forehead.

I smiled at him for not taking me too seriously and understanding what a pain in the ass I was early in the morning. I'd warned him before that he would be fooling with me at his own risk if he did so before I had my coffee. For whatever reason, coffee just made the world easier to take first thing in the morning. I had few vices, and coffee wasn't a terrible one to have on the grand scale of things.

"Hurry up, we have to get going," Eric said when I spent a few too many minutes cooing over the caffeinated, yummy goodness he'd made for me.

"Yessir," I sighed and reluctantly got out of bed.

**o.O.o.O.o**

I loved Miami. The second we set foot out of the airport, I knew I wanted to come back and visit some other time. I loved the energy, the weather, the smell of the ocean in the air. It was beautiful. Eric had rented a Jeep and with the top of it down, I could see everything as we whizzed past it. We held hands as he drove and I prayed my hair wouldn't be a giant, tangled rat's nest by the time we reached the Keys.

We stopped at a little Cuban restaurant in Coconut Grove for breakfast. We just barely made the cut off time and I was thankful because I was starving. The complimentary bag of peanuts on the plane had long ago stopped being sufficient nourishment. We each got a Havana Slam (scrambled eggs, ham, green peppers, tomato and onions) that came with toast and coffee. I got pear juice as well, since I'd never had it, and it was delicious. Quite possibly the best thing I'd ever had to drink—except my precious coffee, of course.

When the check came, I snatched it up, getting me a dirty look from Eric. "Just let me pay for breakfast, will you?" I glared at him.

I really didn't want to get off on the wrong foot. I didn't want to fight about money, or who got to do favors for whom. Eric didn't look happy about it but he let me pay, and like the well mannered man I knew he was, he even said, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," I smiled at him.

He surprised me by pulling a digital camera from his pocket and asking our waiter to take our picture. We were seated near the window and leaned over our table to meet in the middle. The waiter took our picture, Eric plopped down the tip (I didn't argue with him over it) and we were on our way. The drive down to the Keys was supposed to take about three hours.

The scenery on the way was amazing. We took the Overseas Highway and the Atlantic was visible for most of the drive. We stopped briefly in Key Largo because it was just too pretty not to. We were only there for about an hour before we got back in the car, but Eric promised we'd drive up again and spend a day there since we had a week. It was my job to take pictures while we drove and I did my job well.

The Beach Boys were blaring from the speakers of the Jeep as we drove along and by the time we finally reached Key West, I thought I was going to burst from excitement. Everywhere I looked it was beautiful. The highway wasn't great for someone like Eric who loved speed, but couldn't on the rather narrow road. We made our way through Key West, passing house after house that looked like it had been designed with the tropics in mind.

The house we were staying in was called the Coconut Cabana, which was just the most perfect name for it. It was a white house with blue shutters in the front. There was a small porch in front of the house and we had to park on the street since there wasn't a driveway. The minute we walked in, I was in love with the house.

The decoration was pretty much what I would have expected for a little house in what was dangerously close to paradise. The floors were bamboo hardwood and perfectly glossy and scratch-free. The furniture was wicker, which I wasn't crazy about but it looked perfect in the scheme of things. The living room walls were painted two shades of green so it almost looked like the rind of a watermelon. A white staircase led upstairs to where two of the bedrooms and a bathroom were.

The house was only one and a half stories, with the second floor only going as far as covering the living room and dining room downstairs. The upstairs bathroom was between the two bedrooms. Both rooms were painted a banana yellow color. One had two twin beds and the other had a queen size. There was a linen closet at the end of the hall with spare sheets, towels and pillows. It was good to know where the spare sheets were, considering Eric and had a tendency to get a little crazy.

Back downstairs we found the French doors that opened onto a wooden patio that was painted the same shade of blue as the shutters out front. A wicker table and chairs were set up, along with a bamboo umbrella. What looked like a professional gas grill was set up on the far side of the patio away from the doors. A lagoon-like pool surrounded my beautiful ocean blue tiles took up the bulk of the yard space. There were tropical plants and flowers everywhere, but no grass. It was amazing.

Back inside we found the small utility room with the washer and dryer tucked away under the staircase. The last place we checked out was the master bedroom. It was painted somewhere between peach and pink color. The bed was queen size with four posts. The angle of the bed was a little strange, but it looked extremely comfortable. Just like in the other bedrooms, the walls were trimmed with white and there were bamboo shades hanging in the windows.

The view from the bedroom changed depending on which window you looked through. One showed us the backyard/pool area. The other was aimed toward the ocean and we could see it in the distance just a few blocks again. I was freakishly close to crying, I was so happy. The adjoining bathroom wasn't as fancy as Eric's bathroom, but then most bathrooms weren't that fancy. It was painted the color of the inside of a lime, and the white porcelain fixtures sparkled and gleamed like they had just been installed.

"Eric, this is perfect," I turned to smile at him. "I can't believe we get to stay here for a week!"

"I wish we could stay longer," he said regretfully.

"Are you kidding me? A week is perfect. It's enough to time be away from everyone else, but not so long that we start to take it for granted. Always be grateful for what you have and make the best of it," I wrapped my arms around him.

"Did Gran teach you that?" he whispered against my hair.

"Yessir," I squeezed him and then tilted my face up toward his. "Know what else she taught me?"

"What's that?" his hands pushed my hair behind my shoulders.

"To always make sure the thank you is proportional to the gift," I wiggled my eyebrows and pushed him back toward the bed. "And I owe you big time."

* * *

><p><strong>It should be noted that it's slightly alarming how much fun I had doing research for this trip. If you Google "Coconut Cabana Key West, FL" you'll be able to find the house I used for this trip. Yeah, I'm such a geek sometimes. That little bit of a fight between them in the beginning was also fun to write, even if writing angst for this couple kills me. Seriously, you should see me crying on gchat to Scribeninja. It's kind of pathetic. Thanks for reading!<strong>


	22. Nothing But a Breeze

Chapter 22: Nothing But a Breeze

We woke up late on the morning of July fourth. We stayed up late, going for a midnight naked swim in the back and ended up doing things in that pool that I never thought I'd do anywhere, let alone in a swimming pool. By the time Eric was finished with me, I was too exhausted to pull myself out of the water, much less walk into the house, leaving it to him to carry me inside. I was pretty sure I was asleep before my head hit the pillow and I barely moved from where he'd laid me down. I turned onto my back and stretched, immediately feeling that pleasant soreness that followed a night of nonstop lovemaking.

I couldn't remember ever feeling quite so insatiable in the past. I had never craved someone before, but I did Eric. I turned onto my side to face him. He was still sound asleep, and I had no intention of getting out of bed. Unfortunately, my bladder didn't have the same snooze button the rest of me did and I didn't have a choice. I tip toed to the bathroom so I wouldn't wake him up and closed the door quietly as I could.

A few too many Mojitos the night before left me with a slightly aching head and feeling a little on the dizzy side. Was it possible I was still a little drunk? It wouldn't be surprising, considering how much I had to drink the night before. It certainly explained some of the raunchier things I had been willing to do in the pool. How the neighbors didn't hear us, or call the police to complain, was beyond me.

My face burned bright red, not from sun exposure, but from the realization that we might have really put on a show for the people next door. I made a mental note to turn down any Mojitos that might be offered in the future, having decided they were the Devil's drink. I brushed my teeth and drank two glasses of water. When I looked down at myself, I realized I had finger sized bruises on each of my hips.

_That explains why I'm sore in other places_, I thought to myself. I turned off the too bright bathroom light and crept back to bed. I snuggled against Eric and his arm circled me. Whether he knew he was doing it or not, I didn't know. I supposed it didn't really matter. I liked being that close to him anyway. I closed my eyes with the intention of going back to sleep, but that wasn't going to happen.

Apparently, my rubbing up against Eric in attempts to get comfortable had stirred something in him and it was pressing against my back. Large hands began to run themselves up and down my very naked body until one of them found its way between my legs. I winced when he touched me there. I was swollen and sore and really in no position to be having anymore sex, even if my body was suddenly very much in favor of it.

I was going to need an ice pack for my lady parts if I wasn't careful, and there was no way to class that up any further. I could just see it now, lounging on the beach with an ice pack resting right over my bikini bottoms. Even a thousand miles away, Gran had to be scandalized by the thought of it. I knew I was.

"Good morning, lover," Eric purred in my ear.

"Morning," I whispered, wondering how he would take if it I told him I needed a little more recuperation time. Turns out I didn't have to worry about it when his fingers dipped between my folds and moaned in a way that conveyed my discomfort.

"What's wrong? Did I hurt you?" he sounded concerned.

"I think we had a little too much fun last night. I'm a little tender right now," I said as kindly as I could.

"Shit, Sookie, I'm sorry," he apologized. "If I was being too rough you should have told me."

"No, you weren't," I said, suddenly recalling the rather brutal pounding I had taken on the steps of the pool. "It felt amazing last night, but I'm paying for it now."

He withdrew his hand and turned me over on my back. I watched as he placed delicate kisses along my skin, starting at my lips and working his way down until he got to my center. He pushed my legs apart and quickly kissed between them. It wasn't meant to start anything, but rather and apology for the hurt he caused. He kissed his way back up and stopped at my ear.

"We'll take the day off," he promised me and I nodded.

"Thank you for understanding," I reached for his hand.

"I don't want you to be in pain, Sookie. Sex isn't fun for me if you're not enjoying it as much as I am," he squeezed his palm to mine.

_I love you_, I thought and wondered if now was the right time to tell him so. I turned my face toward his, and the way he was looking at me made my heart ache. I raised our hands and kissed the back of his. I needed to say it. I'd been holding it in long enough.

"There's something I've been wanting to tell you," I turned so we were face to face.

"What is it?" he looked concerned again. "This isn't the first time I was too rough, is it?"

"What? No! Eric, no, I swear, I love having sex with you. It's amazing. I feel this connection to you and I feel closer and you're really, _really_ good in bed. Please don't think I'm upset with you," I pleaded with him and he nodded. "What I wanted to tell you is that I love you."

We were silent and for a moment, I panicked, thinking I had picked the wrong time after all. But then his lips were on mine, kissing me forcefully and with more passion than I thought I had in my whole body. His fingers tangled in my hair and his weight slid on top of mine. Figures I would tell him I loved him and we wouldn't be able to seal the deal with an orgasm like we should have been able to do.

"Say it again," he looked into my eyes and ran his thumbs along my jaw.

"I love you," I smiled at him and he smiled back. No, not smiled, beamed.

"No one has ever said that to me before," he confessed and I was shocked.

"No one?"

"Well, Pam, Helena, family…but never someone I've been in a relationship with."

Wow.

"Eric, I…that's…I'm honored to be the first," I said since everything else I would have said would have sounded like I was calling him a liar. To my knowledge, he'd never lied before. I had no reason to think he'd picked up a new dirty habit.

He kissed me again until we were both breathless. He hadn't said it back but I didn't need him to, not if it wasn't the way he felt. I wanted him to love me, of course, but not because I wanted him to. I wanted the genuine article and not some forced emotion or misguided impression that he had to say it back just because I said it first.

"I'm glad you told me because I've been wanting to tell you something, too," he smiled at me.

"What's that?" I reached up and touched the little scar on his temple I still assumed was from chicken pox. It was probably the most benign scar of the many he had.

"I love you, too. I just didn't want to say it too soon and scare you off," he confessed.

Mr. Confidence was afraid of running me off? It was then that I realized Eric was more fragile than I thought he was. Sure he was physically tough and I knew he was emotionally tough as well. He had to be given the way he was raised and the career detour he'd taken in his young adult life. Things were different now. He felt like he could tell me anything and I hadn't given him any reasons to think I was going to run from the person he once was.

Truth be told, I loved that person, too. I had to, didn't I? Without that person Eric wouldn't be the person he'd become. He had made mistakes and learned from them. I learned long ago it was a mistake to love a person for bits and pieces of who they were. Either you go whole hog, or not at all.

"Say it again," I crinkled my nose at him just because I wanted to hear it a second time.

"I love you," he smiled at me.

We stared at each other for a few minutes, just being dorks and basking in our revelations. We were in love. "Kiss me," I pulled his face to mine and he was more than willing to oblige me.

**o.O.o.O.o**

"Where did you get this tattoo?" I asked Eric, running my fingers over a design of a dove carrying a single rose. The tattoo was on his side, covering part of his left ribcage.

"I got that in Vegas," he looked down at it. "On what would have been my mother's 45th birthday if she wouldn't have died."

"It's beautiful," I said and kissed the tattoo. "Did it hurt?"

"They all hurt," he tried to shrug. "But that one hurt a little more since it was so close to bone."

"I've never even thought of getting a tattoo. I've never really had anything important enough in my life that I wanted to wear it." I said and traced the outline of the dove.

"Whether or not it's visible, we wear all sorts of things under our skin," Eric said in a way that made me sad.

He seemed to be somewhere else, lost in his own thoughts. I was quiet for a while, giving him the time he needed to think through whatever it was that was haunting him. The ocean did funny things to people, I gathered. We'd been sitting on the shore of the Atlantic for the last hour or so, and for most of that time we were quiet. A little silent reflection was good for the soul, wasn't it?

A few feet away a little girl in a bright pink bathing suit screamed when some waves came up and nearly knocked her down. I smiled in that general direction and started wondering if someday, I would ever be a mother to a little girl like that. The look of surprise on her face when the water came up was one of complete surprise and excitement. I wondered if it was her first time seeing the ocean and if maybe I had made a similar face the first time a wave had caught me off guard.

"Do you miss her?" I leaned against Eric.

"I never met her," he put his arm around me and my head fell into that little niche between his shoulder and his chest.

"That doesn't mean you can't miss her. Sometimes I think that means you have the right to miss her even more," I brought my hand up to hold his at my shoulder.

"I try not to think about her. When I do, I wonder how different my life would have been and that makes me wonder if I would have met you," his lips pressed down on the top of my head. "And I'm happy I met you. Sometimes I think, after all the bad things I've done, I don't deserve you."

My eyes filled with tears and it was one of those moments where I couldn't comprehend how he was ever a bad person. I tried to imagine him being all intimidating and violent and I just couldn't see it. It was like he was talking about someone else entirely.

"Now you're talking crazy," I snuggled against him. "If there's one thing I've learned in my twenty-three years, it's that everything happens for a reason, Eric. Your mother died for a reason. You grew up the way you did for a reason. You went through those things in Las Vegas for a reason. You met me for a reason. It's all connected, whether we know it or not. There's some bigger cosmic plan out there and for whatever reason, our paths were supposed to cross. I don't think it's a matter of deserving each other as much as it is accepting we're supposed to be together."

"You think this was destiny?" Eric looked down at me.

I shrugged and said, "I think choice only gets us so far and fate does the rest."

"That's a very astute way of looking at things."

"I think a lot," I smiled up at him. "There's more to this blonde hair than just big boobs and great curves."

"I know that," he said although he didn't take it offensively. "You just surprise me sometimes with the things you say."

"Likewise," I snorted and then ran my fingers over the little scar on his leg I had been wondering about since the first day on the boat. "Where did you get this?"

Eric sighed and lay back on the sand, pulling me down with him. I snuggled against him and listened to the thundering of his heart with one ear and the roar of the ocean with the other. I closed my eyes and listened to him talk. Before I knew it, I was asleep.

"Sookie?" Eric's hand shook me gently. "Sookie, wake up."

I grunted as I started to come out of the dreamland I had been safely nestled in. I had no idea how long I'd been out but the sun was starting to set, signifying it was time for us to head back to the house. Eric helped me up off the sand and gathered up the large towel we had been laying on while I rubbed my eyes and tried to get my bearings back. I reached for his hand and together we walked back to the house.

"What should we have for dinner?" he asked once we were back at the house.

"You pick. I need a shower," I noticed there was still some sand on me, stuck in place thanks to my tanning oil.

We had been disappointed to discover that showering together wasn't nearly as easy at the Coconut Cabana as it was in Eric's monster bathroom back home. I made my way to the bedroom and debated over what to wear for the rest of the night. I shrugged, went to the bathroom and started the water for the shower. I stripped off my denim shorts and then my bikini. The water took another minute to get warm and then I stepped under the spray.

I was humming a Jimmy Buffett song while I rinsed off. I heard the scraping of the shower curtain and opened my eyes. Eric was peeking at me with a sly grin on his face. I was surprised to find he wasn't naked and trying to get in with me. But he was definitely staring like me like he'd decided what he wanted for dinner.

"Can I help you?" I asked with amusement after close to a minute of staring had gone by without him saying a word.

"Just taking in the view," he smiled at me.

"Wanna make yourself useful?" I held out the shampoo.

"I would love to, but I need to get started on dinner. I was thinking spicy citrus shrimp and coconut rice, if that works for you?" Eric suggested.

"Sounds delicious. I'll finish up in here and then come help you," I leaned forward and offered him a kiss, which he readily accepted.

"Take your time," he winked at me and then disappeared to get started on dinner.

I finished up in the shower a few minutes later and put on one of my sundresses. By the time I got out to the kitchen Eric already had the shrimp marinating and was starting on the rice. I shucked some corn on the cob and got a large pot of water on the stove to start boiling. The kitchen wasn't very big but we were able to work around each other.

I went over to the iPod dock station where Eric's iPod was plugged in and started some music. We'd been listening to nothing but relaxing, summery type music since arriving in Florida, and I knew I would smile every time I heard one of those songs in the future. Eric went outside to start the grill for the shrimp while I kept an eye on the rice. When it started to boil I turned down the heat and covered the pot to let it steam.

I was setting the timer when Eric came back inside. The shrimp would only take a few minutes to cook and he had wisely left the shells on so they wouldn't get all dried out on the grill. I added a pinch of sugar to the water for the corn to make it just a little sweeter and resisted temptation to lift the lid on the rice to see how it was doing. Eric's arms snaked around my waist as an Eagles song started playing.

"Dance with me," he whispered in my ear.

I nodded and backed away from the stove. It was a sad song, really, and I hoped we would never end up like the lovers in the lyrics. Eric singing the song quietly in my ear nearly had me crying, it was so sweet. "Oh, sweet darlin', you get the best of my love," he whisper sang to me, holding me a little tighter.

I felt my heart ache a little, and I had never before experienced loving someone enough that it hurt. I squeezed my eyes closed and tried to will away the tears that were threatening to overtake me. I didn't want to cry but I was on overload, and my emotions got the better of me. I cried quietly, letting my tears fall silently. It might have gone unnoticed if it weren't for one of those traitorous drops landing on Eric's arm.

"Why are you crying?" he whispered when the song ended.

I looked up at him and he immediately wiped the tears from my cheeks. "It just hit me how much I love you."

We stopped dancing and spent our time kissing until the timer went off for the rice.

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><p><strong>Assuming y'all aren't in diabetic comas right about now, I just wanted to say thanks to the FloridaMiami natives who left me reviews and whatnot to tell me a little about the state. I've never been to Florida before (it's pathetic how little I've traveled in my near 30 years) so I'm relying on the internet to get me the right information. I'll be making some edits to the next chapter so it might not go up until Friday, but hopefully those edits will make it worth the wait. If anyone's got any info on fun things to do in the Keys, don't be afraid to send a PM and let me know about it. Thanks for reading!**


	23. Come On Get Higher

**Originally, this chapter didn't exist. I wrote it yesterday after thinking about some of the reviews I got and I realized I really didn't do this trip justice. It's a great vehicle for them to learn so much about each other and I just sort of glazed over it. So, after much thought, I decided to write another chapter. Hopefully y'all like it.**

**Before I forget, I owe a huge thank you to _kleannhouse_, _orionsbabydoll_ and _ashmo2000_ for pointing me in the right direction of attractions to check out down in the Keys. Lucky for me, I love doing research. Maybe someday I'll actually get my arse on a plane and go see it all for myself. For now, I'll have to settle for seeing it through Google's all-knowing eyes *sigh***

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><p><span>Chapter 23: Come On Get Higher<span>

The smell of coffee and bacon pulled me from my dreams. A breeze blew in, carrying the smell of the ocean along with it. I rolled onto my back and stretched out a little. I'd slept like a log. We stayed up late to watch fireworks from the beach the night before and by the time we walked back to the house it was nearly midnight. We spent the better part of the day on the beach and my tan was significantly darker than it was when we arrived and it was only day two in the Keys.

A glance at the clock told me it was just after eight, which was early for either Eric or me to be awake. I rolled out of bed and crept to the bathroom to relieve my dangerously full bladder. I ran my brush through my hair, pulled it back in a ponytail and then washed my face and brushed my teeth. I found Eric in the kitchen a short time later, husking a cantaloupe and cutting it into smaller pieces to go with the fresh pineapple and strawberries he'd already diced up and put into a large bowl.

The floor creaked, giving me away before I could sneak up on him. "Morning, sleepyhead," he said over his shoulder.

"Sleepyhead? It's not even eight thirty yet," I yawned and moved up behind him to hug him around his bare waist. "How long have you been up?"

"About two hours," he confessed. "I went for a run on the beach and then stopped at one of the little markets to get fresh fruit."

"It smells amazing in here," I moaned my appreciation and ducked around to kiss his chest. "Need any help?"

Eric put me to work scrambling eggs to go with the bacon. He'd also picked up some fresh tortillas at the market and they were still warm in their little package. A short while later we were sitting down to breakfast on the patio and Eric mentioned he wanted to go to Mallory Square and spend the day there.

"What's at Mallory Square?" I asked before sipping my coffee.

"There are all sorts of things there, but the big one is the aquarium. There are shark feedings and you can even touch the sharks if the guides show you what to do," he told me.

"Touch a shark? No thanks," I shook my head. "But the feeding sounds like fun."

"There's a touch tank with different creatures that are native to the Keys. I wanted to go snorkeling while we're here, so I thought it would be kind of cool to know what we're looking at in the reefs," Eric explained with a child-like grin. I loved when he smiled like that and it wasn't very often. "Then there's the ghost tour," his eyebrows wiggled.

"Ghost tour? Like the cemetery tours down in New Orleans?" I'd been on one or two of those in my day. They were fun to go on, in my opinion. I liked hearing the stories and the history behind each place we visited.

"Sort of, but there won't be any jazz bands. The stories here center more on tragic love stories, ailing soldiers from the War," he said like a good southern boy would after being corrected when we first met. "There's even this doll that's supposedly pretty creepy and plays tricks on people."

"A doll that plays tricks?" I asked skeptically.

He nodded and said, "And of course, there are the ghosts of pirates lurking in the shadows."

I laughed quietly while shaking my head and spearing a strawberry. "Okay, pirate ghosts I can believe, but a creepy doll playing tricks?"

"It's a legend for a reason," he shrugged and while I thought he was just trying to get a rise out of me, there was a part of me that was a little spooked by the idea. I remembered my brother teasing me endlessly when I was little that my Cabbage Patch Kids came to life in the middle of the night and were going to kill me in my sleep after he saw _Child's Play_. My brother can be a real tool sometimes.

"And the sunsets are supposed to be amazing from there as well," Eric told me while he stuffed his third tortilla.

"Sounds like you did your research, Mr. Northman," I smiled at him and finished off my last piece of pineapple. I was stuffed.

"I did. I thought we'd stop at Hemingway's house first, since it's on the way, and then head over to Mallory Square. There's plenty to do there and then we could have dinner at Sloppy Joe's Bar," he told me and I nodded my agreement.

"That sounds like a lovely idea."

"Good. Then go shower while I clean up the kitchen," he told me.

"No, Eric, you cooked! The least I can do is-" I was cut off from arguing with him.

"Get in the shower and let me clean up. Go on," he nodded toward the bedroom.

He was too good to me sometimes. I got up from the table and he wouldn't even let me clear our plates. I walked around to where he was still sitting and leaned down to kiss him. "Thank you for breakfast."

"You're welcome," he smiled up at me and returned my kiss before sending me on my way.

**o.O.o.O.o**

Ernest Hemingway's house was beautiful and after about thirty seconds on the property, I decided I wanted to live there. I could appreciate all the old furniture since my Gran's house boasted of quite a few pieces that hadn't moved from their spot since their construction. In some cases, that meant there were pieces close to 200-years-old in her house. I wasn't sure who would inherit the house when Gran passed but I knew I wouldn't mind living there one day either.

I learned quite a bit about Hemingway, having only ever read A Farewell to Arms and The Old Man and the Sea back in high school. We were walking around the pool out back, the first ever in Key West, when a smoky gray cat came up and brushed itself against my legs. I reached down to pet it, and the cat immediately flopped onto its side for a belly rub. I was careful kneeling down in my sundress. I was wearing a bikini underneath since Eric had mentioned a detour to the beach at some point in the afternoon.

While I was excited about going to the aquarium, I didn't want to spend too much time inside when there was all that sunshine to soak up and enjoy. I paid close attention and noticed the cat had six toes, which meant it was a descendant of one of Hemingway's original cats. There was such a laid back vibe about the property. The tropical nature of it made it difficult to get stressed out. All I wanted was to find a hammock, a good book and maybe a piña colada to sip on and I'd be happy camper.

The cat sniffed around the turquoise on my sandals before he went back to circling around my ankles. I would have stayed there for much longer to pet him, but Eric pulled me along. We were trying to make the one o'clock feeding of the sharks at the aquarium and we had to get going. The drive to Mallory Square didn't take long but the place was definitely crowded. We made it to the aquarium with enough time to look around a little bit before we had to get over to the shark tanks for the feeding.

It took a lot of goading from a very excited Eric to get me to do it, but I eventually caved and touched the tail of a small nurse shark. It was actually kind of cool and I could tell Eric was proud of me for facing my fear and touching what I considered to be a highly deadly creature. It was easy to see Eric was the thrill seeker of the two of us, since I probably would have been just fine going the rest of my life without touching a shark. Then again, it was pretty neat to be able to say I'd done it.

"It wasn't so bad, was it?" he put his arm around me as we left the shark feeding to go hang out over by the Touch Tank for a while.

"Only because it was just fed. Otherwise it probably would have tried to eat _me_," I gave a silly pout that made him grab my hand and kiss the fingers that had grazed the shark.

"I love you for doing it even though you didn't want to," he smiled at me.

From the aquarium we went to the Key West Shipwreck Museum to look around for a bit. I learned about the wreckers who had settled in the Keys and made their living salvaging items from the ships that often wrecked along the Florida Reef back in the golden days of sailing. It could be a very profitable business if a wrecker knew what they were doing and had a good crew put together. It also sounded like a somewhat dangerous job to hold if you weren't familiar with how rough the water could get.

We'd seen about all there was to see at the museum and my stomach started growling. "I'm hungry," I told Eric as we made our way to the door.

"Me too," he reached for my hand. "Want to go over to Sloppy Joe's?"

I nodded enthusiastically and we headed toward the restaurant just a few blocks away over on Greene and Duval. There was a short wait but we spent it over by the bar where Eric suggested I give Mojitos a second chance. Since I had absolutely no intention of getting frisky out on the beach, I politely declined and had a Key West Lemonade instead. Eric ordered a Heineken, which baffled me since he'd once told me the tattoo on the back of his neck was meant to symbolize his sobriety. I'd seen him drink a few beers at Amelia's party, but wasn't the whole point to stay away from alcohol and things that might tempt him to go back?

I waited until we were seated to ask him about it. "So, there's something I want to ask you about but I don't know if it's really any of my business and it's something really personal you might not want to talk about. You can tell me to mind my own business if you want."

"Sookie, just spit it out," Eric said with amusement. I could only hope he'd continue to be amused after I said what I wanted to say.

"Okay, well, it's just that it's a sensitive subject and one we haven't really talked about much since we first met and I don't want you to think I'm judging you," I clarified and he made a motion for me to continue. I took a deep breath and continued, "When we first met you told me that tattoo on the back of your neck was to memorialize the number of years you've been sober. But then you were drinking at Amelia's party and you're drinking now. So I guess I'm just wondering if that's allowed with sobriety."

Eric smiled at me and set the bottle down. "Alcohol was never a problem for me. I can take it or leave it and I never have more than two in a day."

We had to pause there because a waitress came over to check and see if we were ready to order. We hadn't really looked over the menu yet but we'd seen the appetizer list at the bar. Eric ordered the Sloppy Sampler Platter so we could taste different things. I had no idea what a conch fritter was, but I figured it couldn't be any worse than sushi.

"So then what were you twelve stepping over if it wasn't alcohol?" I asked him once the waitress was gone.

Eric passed me a menu and opened his own to start looking while he explained himself. "I spent a little time in Amsterdam after high school ended and their policies on drug use, as you probably know, are far more liberal than the policies here. It started out as an experiment and I was only using hash recreationally. I didn't really think anything of it since I never felt a craving for it. I didn't _need_ it to get through the day. But I think that set me up for knowing what a good high felt like, and when I got to Las Vegas, someone offered me cocaine one night.

"I was drunk in some casino on the edge of the strip. I was still in the interviewing stages of getting involved with Felipe. Just about everyone in his crew was using and it was expected I'd follow the program, which meant not turning down anything I was offered. I was careful, in the beginning, only using just enough to keep them off my back but the longer I was around, the more I had to use. The more I had to use, the harder it was to deny I wasn't an addict. It took getting into a bar fight with some prick college kid on spring break," he held out his hand to show me the two knuckles that were a little bigger than the others. "For me to realize I was really fucking up my life. I could have killed that night, I was so tuned up, and at the time I wouldn't have cared."

Wow. When Eric revealed bits and pieces of his past like that, it explained more of why he was the way he was, and it also made me marvel all over again at the person he'd become.

"See this?" Eric turned his arm to show me a rather gnarly looking scar on the inside of his left arm. I nodded and he said, "That's from a cigar burn I got in that fight."

My mouth dropped open wide enough for a Marlin to park itself inside just as the waitress came back to see if we were ready to order. Eric looked to me and I said, "You go first. I'll pick quickly."

While he ordered his BBQ Pork Sandwich, I looked over the menu. There were a few things that sounded delicious, but it was the Full Moon Fish Sandwich that caught my eye. We decided to split an order of cheese fries to go with our sandwiches and I asked for a glass of water as well.

I took a big drink of my lemonade and said, "You know, sometimes I think about all the things you've done and the places you've been and I wonder what the hell you're doing with me. I'm just this small town girl who's barely ever left the northwest corner of Louisiana. You've done so many things with your life; been so many places and seen so many things. We're completely different."

Eric reached across the table for my hand and our fingers laced together. "Not completely different. I love you. You love me. That's something pretty powerful to have in common," he said and raised my hand to kiss the back of it.

A runner brought out our sampler platter and some smaller plates for us. I looked over the options and decided I was going to try the conch fritter first, since I'd have other tastes to chase it away if I didn't care for it. I dipped the fritter in some of the key lime custard they were served with, as did Eric. I took a deep breath and said, "Bottoms up," before popping it in my mouth.

**o.O.o.O.o**

The sunset from Mallory Square was unbelievable. We'd wanted to take the ghost tour but it was sold out. We bought tickets in advance for the following night. It was a little crazy how packed the pier was for sunset. There were street performers all over the place. It seemed there was a little bit of everything down there and it was a little overwhelming.

There were jugglers, sword swallowers, musicians, tumblers, unicyclists, acrobats, balloon artists and even a preacher all set up to entertain the tourists. Eric laughed at me for cringing when Dale the Sword Swallower got down to business. I was terrified one of the guys on unicycles was going to bump him. I didn't know if it was all an illusion or what, but I really didn't want to find out the hard way.

We were walking along the boardwalk, trying to find a place to settle and watch the sunset when I noticed a Henna tattoo artist all set up with no one waiting in line. I squeezed Eric's hand and nodded toward the artist. "I think I want to get one done," I smiled up at him.

He grinned at the idea and then growled, "I think it would look very good on you, lover."

Of course my very inked up boyfriend would think that. We made our way over to the artist and I asked a few questions while looking at the designs she had on display. I didn't want to get too fancy with it, but I thought maybe a sun around my belly button would look cool. Lucky for me, I was wearing a bikini under my sundress and I had a sarong in the straw bag I'd been carrying around all day.

No one batted an eyelash when I whipped off my dress and stretched out on the little cot the artist had set up. While she did the drawing, she explained it would take about twenty minutes for the henna to dry, but it was best if I kept the dried paste on for at least six hours without getting it wet. She recommended leaving it on overnight since it was getting late, and said I could wash off the paste in the morning when I showered. By then, the ink would be set nice and dark (I went with the blue instead of the red since my skin was so tan) and would last for a couple of weeks before washing off.

It didn't take the artist very long to do, nor was it super expensive. Eric attempted to pay for it but I gave him one of my death stares. It was one thing to let him pay for aquarium tickets or dinner, but it was something else entirely to let him pay for my tattoo and I refused to let him. By the look of amusement on his face, I started to think he was doing it on purpose just to get me all riled up.

Once the artist was paid and I had my sarong tied around my hips, we moved on down the boardwalk. Eric left my side just long enough to get a frozen limeade for us to share from one of the food carts parked close by. We stood hand in hand, watching sailboats move and dolphins do silly tricks in the water below us. It was, by far, one of the best nights of my life.

"I was wrong," Eric whispered in my ear.

"About what?" I continued to smile toward the fading light, trying not to giggle at the hair tickling my neck on account of his breath.

"That tattoo doesn't look good on you," he kissed my shoulder. "It looks fucking sexy."

I nudged him playfully and said, "Well, you have to keep your hands off it until tomorrow. But if you're a good boy, I'll let you wash it off me."

I got a playful growl in response, and then his arms circled my shoulders. I leaned back against him and his chin rested on the top of my head. I knew it couldn't last forever, but for just those few moments, everything was perfect.

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><p><strong>I was going to add another scene in this chapter but then Sookie decided to get that Henna tattoo and it just messed everything up. Sooo, I'll have to stick the scene in another chapter but I think I know which chapter it'll go in. Gotta love the happy accidents. Hopefully I did Key West justice here. It really was a lot of fun looking up the information I needed to write this chapter. I'm such a geek sometimes. Okay...off to the pool to play with a 5 month old baby. Thanks for reading!<strong>

_P.S. Those of you concerned for **kjwrit's** welfare, she's fine. She had a mishap with her laptop and she's been cockblocked from writing as a result, but I promise, we don't need to send out a search party for her. She'll be back as soon as the laptop unfucks itself. She considers this to be karmic payback for all the cockblocking she did herself. Poor wifey._**  
><strong>


	24. Comin' Home

**Just fair warning...this chapter is quite puckertastic, if you catch my drift. Also, Sookie's mostly hidden case of potty mouth comes out full force here. For those not adept to subtleties, this chapter is NOT SAFE FOR WORK.**

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><p><span>Chapter 23: Comin' Home<span>

Our time in Florida went by far too quickly. We spent hours at the beach, holding hands, walking in the surf, swimming and laying out in the sun. We went on that ghost tour Eric was so excited about, visited Harry Truman's house, had dinner at Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville Cafe and visited other islands of the Keys. As promised, we spent a day up in Key Largo. I ate more Cuban food than I thought possible and on our last night in Florida, Eric insisted on making me dinner.

He made us fish tacos that we ate together on the back deck of the house while the sun set. We'd gone salsa dancing the night before after having dinner at a restaurant within walking distance. I didn't have a single Mojito then either. I was still recovering the bruises on my hips from the last round I went with them.

It made me sad to pack and get ready to go home. It was nice having all that time to ourselves. Yes, we talked to other people but we would never see any of them again. For a whole week it was just the two of us and it had gone a long way to prove to me that Eric and I were a good fit for each other. We could very peacefully coexist, and it got me thinking about what it would be like if we lived together all the time.

It was too soon to start talking about, but at least I knew it could work if we ever decided to give it a shot. We stayed out on the patio, talking and watching the stars twinkle overhead until I started to yawn. We called it a night fairly early, which was fine with me because we had to be up and out of the house early. We had to be back in Miami by three in the afternoon in order to catch our flight back to Shreveport.

If the weather held out, we would be back in Louisiana by supper time. The hard part was going to be going home to our own houses after spending a week together. I had to get back to work and Eric had to get back to whatever it was he did during the day when I was working. Being away from him was getting increasingly harder. I was dangerously close to being obsessed with him but I figured that was allowed since we were still in that honeymoon phase of a relationship. On top of that, we had said we loved each other. That counted for a lot, didn't it?

I slept soundly that last night in Florida, with Eric wrapped around me and the faint sound of the ocean roaring against the shore just a few blocks away.

Eric woke me before dawn, much to my dismay, and insisted we go down to the beach to watch the sunrise. He didn't even have coffee, which made me question his sanity. What was he thinking waking me up before dawn without coffee?

"Come on, grumpy, I'll make it worth your while," he said while tugging me out of bed.

"Coffee," was all I could say since it was the only thing that made any sort of sense to me.

"You'll get your coffee," he promised me with a kiss to the side of my head.

"Coffee," I mumbled again, mostly dead on my feet.

Eric just chuckled at the only word available in my vocabulary. I wondered if he thought it would still be funny when I wouldn't fuck him for a week. Yeah, that was an empty threat. That might just be the only thing better than coffee at the moment. Eric lifted me up into the Jeep and with a series of quick, cat-like moves, sank into the seat beside me. It took only about thirty seconds to drive to the beach.

"What are we doing here, Eric?" I whined as he pulled me from the car, along with a big blanket I hadn't noticed in the backseat.

"Watching the sunrise. Come on," he tugged my hand and pulled me along.

I didn't appreciate how cold the sand was under my feet. I had been snuggled nice and warm in the bed back at the house. I grumbled and complained as Eric dragged me down the beach until he decided he'd found the perfect spot. The beach was deserted, as it should be at that time of the morning. He spread out the blanket and pulled me down with him. I was still in my nightgown, for fuck's sake! All he had on were his pajama pants. If there was a beach patrol that came by they would probably think we'd slept there all night.

Eric was feeling freakishly chatty and all I wanted was for him to shut up and let me go back to sleep. Between the early hour and the lack of coffee, the last thing I wanted was to have an intelligent conversation. Finally, I had enough and I clamped my hand down over his mouth. "Eric, I love you, but please shut up."

He licked my palm in response. I groaned and rolled away from him. It was a bad decision since it gave him the opportunity to spoon up behind me. I kept my eyes closed and felt myself starting to drift off in spite of the sky starting to get a little brighter. I wanted to be back in bed with the shades closed and tucked under a blanket. Instead, I was lying on the beach, shivering and waiting for a sunrise. Somewhere in my head I knew what he was doing was romantic; I just wasn't alert enough to give it much thought.

As if Eric was reading my mind, I suddenly felt the other half of the blanket land on top of me. I pulled it closer and curled up a little, pushing my backside into his crotch. He grunted behind me and I wasn't the least bit surprised when I felt his hands moving up my legs and over my hip. His hips started grinding against me and I started to wonder what his real goal had been by hauling me out of bed before sunrise.

"Did you bring me out here just to fuck me?" I asked with my eyes closed and a faint smile on my face.

"Of course not," Eric kissed my neck. "If I wanted to fuck you I would have tied you to the bed while you were sleeping and you would have woken up with my head between your legs."

Oh. My. God.

"That would have been fun," I admitted, knowing my cheeks were flushed with a hint of embarrassment at my admission.

"I'll remember that for later," he nipped at my neck and then growled when he realized I wasn't wearing panties. "Consider this my thank you for the way you woke me up last night," he whispered in my ear.

Oh, right. Okay, so the night before I woke up on account of my oddly full bladder and after a quick trip to the bathroom, I got back in bed only to realize he must have been dreaming about something that was getting his motor running, since there was definitely a tent in our blanket. Like any good girlfriend, I had taken full advantage of it. He'd woken up to find me practicing some of my oral skills and touching myself while I did it.

No sooner was he awake than I was on my back and he was inside me. He had actually ripped my nightgown off of me, which was a shame because I had really liked that nightgown. I liked sex with Eric more, but still… I didn't know what had come over me, but I just wanted him; so I took him. He didn't complain.

Now it was payback time and Eric was intent on making sure I got as good as I gave. I ended up on my back, staring up at the sky while Eric disappeared under the blanket to settle between my legs. No one was around, but I was still checking to make sure we remained alone. There was a little thrill at the idea of being caught. Since there was a blanket over me it wasn't like anyone would be able to see anything, but with Eric's legs sticking out like they were, it wouldn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what was going on.

The roar of the ocean muffled the sounds I was making thanks to Eric and his talented tongue. He knew I was close to going over the edge and quickly shifted his position so he was behind me again. I was a little pissed that he'd stopped so suddenly, but forgot all about it when he entered me swiftly from behind. I cried out and even with the roar of the ocean of muffle the noises I made, his hand still covered my mouth.

He pumped into me hard and fast, coaxing my orgasm out from its hiding place and slowed a little when I came. His strokes were longer, almost leisurely for a while. We watched—or at least I did- as the sun came up over the horizon. I turned onto my stomach and lifted my ass up in the air just a little. Eric stayed right with me and pounded against me a little harder. I moaned into the blanket and reached behind me to grab at whatever part of him I could.

When he shifted just a little, he reached a spot inside me that me scream. "Oh God! Right there, baby! Oh fuck me harder!" I tried to keep it down, but I don't know how successful I was.

The pressure built deep in my belly and the friction from the blanket under me was doing its part, rubbing against my clit with every thrust from Eric. I reached down to help myself along and wasn't the least bit surprised when his hand clamped over my mouth again to stifle my screams. I felt him swell and his strokes get a little harder and then he released with a guttural, animalistic growl I'd never heard before.

He dropped on top of me, crushing me against the sand, kissing my neck and back. "I fucking love you," he breathed against my skin, collecting himself before pulling out of me and moving to my side.

I reached down and tugged my nightgown back into place. We lay there for a few minutes, trying to find the ability to will ourselves up. We had to be out of the house no later than ten if we were going to get to Miami on time. It couldn't have been much more than six thirty by the time we got up and headed back to the Jeep. The thirty seconds it took to drive back to the house went by quickly and we were barely inside before Eric was attacking me with kisses.

We managed to get all the way to the kitchen table before he bent me over and pulled up my nightgown. I guess going back to sleep was out of the question.

**o.O.o.O.o**

We made it to Miami in time, although we did end up getting frisky while passing through Key Largo. I wasn't sure what came over us. We seemed to get in these moods where no matter how many times we had sex, it was never enough. It was a good thing we were going home because at the rate we were going, I was going to have to cut him off for a few days. Even when Eric took things slowly and was gentler with me, it still took a toll on me because of his size.

He was careful, however, not to get too rough and if he even had the slightest idea I was in any sort of discomfort, he backed off. It amazed me how well he could read me. Our happy little bubble burst, however, when we reached my house and there was an envelope tacked to my door. My name was preprinted on the outside and the name of a lawyer I didn't recognize was stamped up in the upper left hand corner.

While Eric unlocked the door, I pulled the pages from the envelope. I had been served an eviction notice, of sorts. Joe was selling off his assets to pay for his defense, which meant my house was going on the market. He was giving me the option to buy the house, or sixty days to vacate the property. I was stunned, enraged and baffled all at the same time.

"What's wrong?" Eric asked when I didn't follow him into the house.

"That motherfucker is throwing me out!" I shouted and waved the letter at him.

"Let me see that," Eric took the papers from me and started to look them over while I went in search of my phone so I could call my father and see what could be done about this. "Why not buy the house?"

"And pay for his defense? _Fuck_ that! He murdered my best friend's mother, Eric. No way am I giving that son of a bitch a fucking dime! He can rot, for all I care. I would rather sleep in my car than give him my money!" I was enraged and clearly not thinking about the fact that I had been paying rent to him for the last few years.

"Sookie, calm down," Eric said in a tone that just pissed me off more.

"Calm down? Are you kidding me with this? This is my _home_, Eric, and if he takes it, where am I going to live? I can't move in with my father. I love him and I love my Gran, but I'm not going backward. Fuck!" I shouted in frustration and instead of dialing my father's number like I wanted to, I threw the phone at the couch.

I wanted to hit something but the only thing nearby was a pillow. I kicked the sofa and had a small tantrum in the middle of my living room. The fact that Eric didn't leave was amazing, because I'm not sure I could have handled it if it was him throwing the hissy fit. Then again, there was a certain amusement in watching a grown man have a tantrum.

"Sookie, we'll figure this out," he said calmly. "It's not the end of the world. And if you need to, you can stay with me."

I stopped everything immediately and turned to face him. "I can't stay with you, Eric. I appreciate the offer, but we're not ready for that and-"

"I'm not saying it has to be permanent; just until you find something that you can afford and feel comfortable in."

I took a few deep breaths and when I calmed down a little bit, Eric approached me slowly and wrapped me up in a big hug. I deflated against him, my good mood officially ruined. Leaving him was going to be hard enough after having a whole week together, but finding out I had a limited time to live in my house didn't make it much better. I was beyond furious. I loved Eric for making me the offer he did, but I didn't think it was wise to take him up on it. If we were going to live together, I wanted it to be because we wanted it and not because I didn't have a choice.

He stayed a while longer and sat with me while I went over my options. Eric understood why buying the house was out of the question and didn't push for me to go in that direction. He offered to go apartment hunting with me and didn't seem to keen on it when I suggested I might talk to Sam about moving into his old place by the restaurant.

"Sookie, if that's really the best option for you then I don't understand why you can't stay with me for a little while," he shook his head.

"Because, Eric, sleepovers are one thing but living together is completely different. I know we did fine in Florida but that was different. It's vacation, not every day life. And I wouldn't feel right about just crashing at your place. I don't want to fight about money but it's important to me that I'm paying my own way," I told him in all seriousness.

"I'm not going to charge you, Sookie," he shook his head.

"Which is why I need to find my own place," I sighed and rubbed my eyes. "I have to find a better job, a new place to live…"

"We'll figure something out," Eric leaned over and pulled me into his lap.

He was being so sweet and I still wanted to hit something. Since that wasn't an option I was willing to explore, I did the next best thing; I cried. Well, I started out crying but that quickly turned into the ugly, snotsobbing sort of crying that I wouldn't normally do in front of another person. I felt Eric tense underneath me, and he whispered things I couldn't understand over my sobs in attempts to calm me down. He cradled me in his lap like I was a baby, which was slightly embarrassing and very sweet at the same time.

I cried until there was nothing left and by the time I was done, I was completely exhausted. Between the early wake up call, the intense sexual activity and then this eviction bullshit, I was just done for the night. Eric stood up with me still in his arms and carefully carried me upstairs to my bedroom. I didn't even bother changing out of the dress I was wearing. He set me gently in my bed and stretched out beside me.

"You don't have to stay," I whispered to him with sleepy eyes.

"Yes, I do," he held onto me tightly and kissed my head. "I'll go when I know you're asleep."

I nodded against him, not expecting him to stay at all. I felt a little sad at knowing he would be gone when I woke up. Was I crazy for not taking him up on his offer? I could stay with him, _if I had to_, while I looked for my own place. Or maybe this was a sign from God that I belonged with Eric. Whatever the truth was, I didn't have much time to think about it before sleep pulled me under.

* * *

><p><strong>I know y'all are thinking she's nuts for not jumping on the offer to live with him but just consider it from her 23 yr old perspective for a minute. Living with the boyfriend is great, in theory, but being self-sufficient is important to her and she wants to experience relying solely on herself for a while. I can't really fault her for that. Besides, when the time is right for them to move in together, it'll happen. Trust me *evil grin* Thanks for reading!<strong>


	25. Wherever You Will Go

Chapter 24: Wherever You Will Go

I walked into work the next day feeling a bit like a zombie. I was in a funk, the likes of which I hadn't been in for quite some time. I felt like I was in a free fall, of sorts. I really needed to get my ass in gear and start looking at teaching positions. I'd let myself get so preoccupied with Eric and Sam, but mostly Eric, that everything else had sort of fallen by the wayside. I was paying dearly for that now.

I had been surprised to find Eric sound asleep next to me when I woke up that morning and to thank him for not making a run for it while he could have, I made him breakfast in bed. He sat with me while I went over the morning paper, circling possible apartments and jobs that I needed to look into. My next order of business was to make a phone call to my Gran, since she had a way of hearing all the town whisperings, even if she didn't trade in gossip herself.

She promised to put the word out about me looking for a new job and I knew I was going to have to have that talk with Sam when I got in. He knew I wasn't going to be staying at the restaurant forever, but I didn't want him to hear it from someone else that I was looking for a teaching position. I hated to admit it, but my best bet was to start looking in Shreveport. It was a bigger area and required more teachers. As much as I wanted to stay in Bon Temps, I wasn't sure it was a realistic goal.

Sure, I could commute back and forth everyday but that was a lot of driving to do. And what, exactly, would I be staying in Bon Temps for anyway? It wasn't as if I couldn't drive out there whenever the mood suited me. Being in Shreveport would put me closer to Eric. I wanted to be close to him, but I wasn't ready to take the plunge and move in with him.

I had, however, come to the conclusion that if it was necessary, I would suck it up and stay with him for a while until I found a place of my own. Most people would probably think I was crazy for not just jumping all over the opportunity to live with him, but I liked having my own space. Not to mention, things seemed to be happening so fast with us and I didn't want to bite off more than I could chew simply to see if I could chew it anyway. It was too big of a gamble, and I didn't want to lose Eric because I wasn't thinking clearly.

I went back to Sam's office and drop off my stuff and bring him the souvenirs I'd brought back from Florida for him and Tommy. It wasn't really anything special, but it was the thought that counted. Sam was sitting at his desk, shuffling a stack of papers. He looked up when I walked in and smiled at me.

"Well look at you! You look great, Sookie," he got up out of his chair and came over to give me a hug.

"I look like shit, Sam," I muttered and hugged him back.

"Uh oh. Trouble in paradise?" he asked when he let me go.

"No, the trip was great. Eric and I had a great time. The problem was when I got home last night," I said and pulled the envelope with the eviction papers from my purse to show him.

He quirked his eyebrow at me and then pulled the papers out to have a look. His eyes widened and his neck turned an angry shade of red. "That son of a…Sook, I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"Of course you didn't. I should have seen this coming," I sighed and slumped into the chair next to Sam's desk.

"What are you going to do?" he asked while handing the papers back to me.

"I'm going to find some place else to live. I love that house but there is no way I am going to contribute to his defense fund by buying it. I hope that house sits empty on the market for the rest of his natural life," I said bitterly.

"What about Eric?"

"What about him?"

"Well why not just move in with him? Y'all spend enough time together," Sam shrugged.

"Because it's too soon, that's why. Besides, I like having my own place."

"You can stay in my old place if you want," Sam offered, "I won't even charge you for it."

"That's sweet of you, Sam, but I can't stay there. I wouldn't feel right aboutit and I don't think Eric would appreciate it very much either," I sighed and crossed my feet at my ankles.

"Why would he care if you stayed there?" Sam asked with a hint of anger.

"Well, because it's _your_ house, for starters, but also because he offered to let me stay with him and I turned it down."

"You don't make any sense sometimes," Sam shook his head. "I know you like your independence, Sookie, but living with him doesn't mean you're giving that up."

"It does if it means he's paying for everything! I don't want to be a kept woman, Sam! I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself," I argued.

"And what about when you get married, huh? Someday it's going to happen, and sooner rather than later if you keep seeing Eric. What about then? Or when you have kids, Sook?"

"Sam, I am so far from getting married and having kids," I rolled my eyes.

"Today you are, but that day is coming, Sookie. I think it's great that you don't want to depend on someone else to make it in the world, but there's nothing wrong with taking help when it's offered, either. I had to learn that the hard way," Sam glared at me.

"That's different! If I married Eric, it would be because I wanted to and not because I didn't get a say in the matter. You didn't get a choice about your mother or raising Tommy."

"I didn't get a choice about Mom, but I did with Tommy. But that's no the point, Sookie, because we're not talking about me. You've never been afraid of going after what you want. I may not know much about Eric, but I know _you_. I can see that you love him," Sam said a little sadly. He couldn't look at me when he said those words. "And I'm trying my best to be happy for you, I really am. I guess I just don't understand why you want to keep him at arm's length."

"It's not like that, Sam," I shook my head and stood up. "You don't know what you're talking about."

I grabbed an apron from the pile and marched out of Sam's office before we could keep on arguing. It just wasn't my day.

**o.O.o.O.o**

I was feeling sorry for myself and I knew it. Gran wouldn't have approved of it but Daddy was more than willing to listen to me, so that's where I went. I let myself into his house and proceeded to fall asleep on the couch like I had done a few times in the past. I had called Eric on my way home from work to tell him where I was going so he wouldn't worry if he called my house.

"Sookie, what's going on with you? It feels like you're not telling me something," Eric said with concern in his voice.

"I'm just having a bad day, Eric. Between the eviction and then I got in a fight with Sam earlier and…" I trailed off. I was emotionally exhausted and I didn't want to fight with him, too. "I just need to be somewhere other than my house tonight."

"You can come stay with me," he offered yet again.

"Eric, I love you, but I can't. I need to figure this out on my own, okay? I'll call you tomorrow," I said and then hung up.

I turned off my phone after that so he couldn't call me back and argue with me. Eric was generally pretty good at respecting my wishes but I knew he was concerned and that might override his usual willingness to go with the flow. I ended up crying myself to sleep on my father's ratty old couch. At some basic level I knew it was stupid of me to push Eric away when I should have been leaning on him but for some reason, I just couldn't let him in that way.

I heard Daddy moving around in the kitchen, although I could tell he was trying to be quiet. I rubbed my eyes and slowly sat up before swinging my legs over the side of the couch. I made my way to the kitchen to find Dad at the table with his large coffee mug in front of him. It was the same 'Father of the year' mug he'd been drinking out of since Jason and I gave it to him way back when I was about seven. It was _the only_ mug I saw him use when he was at home. If something ever happened to it, I suspected he would be devastated by it.

"Have a fight with Eric?" Dad asked without looking up from the paper.

"Fought with Sam first. Then Eric and I sort of got into it because I told him I was coming here," I explained and poured myself a cup of coffee.

"What'd you get into with Sam about?" Dad asked although I was sure he'd probably figured it out already.

"Eric," I took a seat at the table next to him. "When I got home from my vacation, which was wonderful, by the way, there was a notice on my front door from Steve Newlin. He's a criminal defense attorney that Joe Mickens hired. In order to fund his defense, it seems Joe is selling off his assets one by one, and that includes my house. Because of that, I have sixty days to vacate the property, or come up with a reasonable offer to purchase the house. Since I refuse to put a penny into Joe's defense fund, I have to move out."

Dad looked pissed off but reserved his comments about Joe for later. "So why are you fighting with two of the most important men in your life?"

"I got into it with Eric because I told him I wouldn't stay with him. We aren't ready for that step yet and I don't want to push myself into it because I feel like I don't have any other choice," I said and Dad gave me one of his disapproving looks that told me he was about to call bullshit. "But then I realized I was just being stubborn and prideful. He hadn't asked me to move in with him; he'd just offered me a place to stay until I figured things out _if_ it came to that."

"That sounds reasonable. So why are you fighting now?"

"Well, when I got to work yesterday I showed Sam the papers and told him I was going to be moving out of the house. He offered to let me stay in his old place next to the restaurant since he's moved into his mother's house. I told him I couldn't move into his place if I wouldn't take up Eric's offer, and it just sort of snowballed from there, like I was picking one over the other, or something. So then I just was in a bad mood all night and had a terrible time because of it. I didn't really want to be alone but I didn't want to go running to Eric either because talking to him about Sam is still kind of awkward, so I called him and told him I was coming here. He got mad at me for going to you instead of him and I just feel like a rag doll being pulled a hundred different ways and I don't know what to do." I said and burst into tears.

Dad grabbed a napkin from the holder at the center of the table and passed it over to me. He let me cry it out, knowing I'd have a slightly clearer head once I did. I didn't usually cry so much and he knew that. I wasn't one for theatrics and carrying on but it was all just getting to be too much for me at one time. When I was a kid it was easier. I could just get lost in my own little world and it didn't matter. I couldn't do that as an adult. I had to deal with my problems and making decisions wasn't always easy or simple.

"Sunshine, you need to take a step back and a deep breath to match," Dad advised once I'd calmed down a little. "None of these problems you're having are life and death sort of things."

"I know," I mumbled and blew my nose quietly.

"You already decided you're moving out of your house. Your next step is to decide if you really want to stay on your own, or if maybe you want to try things out with Eric and see if living together is what you want. Yes, it's fast, but there's no set time limit you have to hit before you know it's the right move. If he's giving you a chance to test the waters and see if you can make it work, and he's the one you want to be with, then there's no harm in giving it a chance. But if you're absolutely sure you're not ready, then you start looking for places of your own. I'll be happy to go with you, but I'm sure Eric would be happy to do it as well."

"He would. We already looked through the paper yesterday," I admitted.

"That's good. Follow up on that," Dad advised. "As for Sam…you knew it wasn't going to be easy. He's got some choices to make as to whether or not he can accept his place in your life has shifted a little. It's not to say he's not still important to you, but you have to make Eric a priority as well if this is going to work and the sooner Sam accepts that, the sooner things will balance out better for everyone."

"I know," I nodded. "And I know things can't stay the same as they were before but a part of me misses the simplicity of it."

Dad laughed and said, "Sunshine, I don't think it was ever all that simple. You and Sam just got used to pretending his feelings for you didn't exist. Now Eric's around and it's a constant reminder that he's not the only one who's sweet on you."

"He's more than sweet on me. He told me he loved me while we were in Florida," I confessed and reached for another napkin.

"Do you love him?" Dad asked me while I dabbed at my face.

"I do," I nodded and blew my nose again. "I know it's quick but-"

"But nothing. If you love him, you love him. It's all a matter of relativity, Sookie. For some people it takes years to fall in love and for others, it takes hours. Every person you give a piece of your heart to is going to be different. Just because it didn't happen so fast for you in the past doesn't make what you're feeling now any less real. Don't try and talk yourself out of it, but don't put all your stock in it either," he said.

"I always thought loving someone meant going whole hog though, you know? I don't want to hold anything back from him. I don't want any secrets between us and I don't want to fight. I know the fighting is inevitable but that doesn't mean I want it. I just want to be able to do what I want to do without worrying I'm going to hurt someone's feelings."

"Honey, that's a lofty goal but it's unavoidable sometimes. So long as you're not doing it intentionally, it's forgivable. But a lot of your problems are going to rest on Sam making his peace with your decisions. Your loyalty to him doesn't mean you have to be alone for the rest of your life," Dad pointed out.

I took a deep breath and a few more sips of my coffee. I had a lot of thinking to do, that's for sure. I left when Dad had to get to the shop. I decided I owed Eric an apology for blowing him off the night before. I didn't want him to think I didn't appreciate all of his kindness, because I did. He didn't have to make me any of the offers he did and he did it because he loved me and because he thought I needed him.

Before I left my father told me that I reminded him of my mother in a lot of ways. He didn't mean it in a bad way, although it stung a little to hear. He reminded me she wasn't all evil, and even though it hurt, she had done us all a favor by leaving when she did. "You got her stubborn and independent streak, Sunshine. It's good that you want to take care of yourself, but don't push everyone else away in the process," Dad told me before hugging me goodbye.

I tried to tell Dad it was partially his fault for setting such a good example for me in how to take care of myself, but he wasn't having any of that. He reminded me that he had help from Gran and Aunt Linda. He didn't see it as him raising Jason and me alone, and he didn't want me to end up alone because things hadn't worked out between him and my mother. I wasn't worried about not being able to work things out with Eric. I just needed to adjust my way of thinking and get used to the idea that someone wanted to take care of me.

It really wasn't a bad thing, and like our first fight about money, I knew I was overreacting a little. It occurred to me that part of the problem was the age difference between Eric and me. He had been on his own for most of his life. He was in a place where he was ready to depend on someone else, or to have someone to take care of. I, on the other hand, was just getting used to being on my own. I liked waking up in the middle of the night and going down to _my_ kitchen to have a snack that I bought with _my_ money.

I didn't mind working for the things I had. In fact, I had been raised to work hard and never take things for granted. Having a little was always enough for me. Not that I thought _he_ thought I was a gold digger, but I didn't want Eric thinking all I saw when I looked at him was a life on Easy Street. For a minute, I tried to put myself in his shoes.

What if the roles were reversed and I was the one that came from the rich family? If I had more money than I knew what to do with, wouldn't I want to share it with others? I wouldn't see it as charity, so much as being generous with the surplus I had at my disposal. Eric certainly wasn't expecting anything in return for the favors he was offering me, so what was I getting all bent out of shape over?

By the time I got to Eric's house I felt like a complete ass for pushing him away for all the wrong reasons. I punched in the code for the garage door and let myself into the house that way since I didn't have a key for the front door. If it wasn't so early in the morning I would have called first. I didn't like just showing up at his house without warning. I didn't think he'd mind but on the chance he would, I thought it was only fair to give a warning or get his permission first.

I crept quietly through the house, checking to make sure he wasn't passed out on either of the couches before making my way upstairs. I was relieved to see Pam had cleared out in the time we were gone. I still had no idea what her deal was. I'd tried to ask Eric about why her personality ran so hot and cold, or if I should take it personally. All he would say is that Pam had taken after their father in a lot of ways. Eric didn't like talking about his father, or any of his family, really.

Eric's bedroom door was wide open, and as usual, he was passed out flat on his back and completely naked. I froze for a second and just stared at him. It wasn't really dignified and even though I had seen every inch of him, there was still something that seemed off about just staring at him all naked and vulnerable like that. Maybe it was because we were in a rocky place at the moment and my guilt was getting the better of me. Whatever the reason, I looked away and debated my next move.

The horny little devil that always seemed to start hopping around whenever I was within ten feet of Eric wanted me to strip off my clothes and apologize to him in a very naked way. The more rational part of me knew talking had to come first and orgasms would follow. I kicked off my shoes and set down my purse on his dresser. I walked around to the other side of the bed and climbed up, careful not to make a big production out of it and bounce around like I would if it were late at night.

I crawled over to where Eric was and sat on my knees. He looked so peaceful and serene laying there. It seemed almost a shame to wake him, but I needed to talk to him. I needed things to be okay again. I didn't want my feelings hanging over my head anymore. I pulled my hair over my shoulder to hold it out of the way before leaning down to plant a line of kisses along his jaw until I reached his ear.

"Eric, sweetie, wake up," I whispered to him. When that didn't work, which I didn't figure it would since he generally slept like the dead, I ran my hand up and down his chest and spoke a little louder. "Eric, wake up."

I tugged on his ear with my teeth and kissed his neck. He shifted a little, but that was about all the reaction I got. I brushed my lips against his and whispered some more while my hand kept roaming. I really didn't want to go any farther than his belly button because if I did, I knew what would be coming first and it wasn't an apology.

"Eric," I moaned in his ear and that seemed to get a reaction out of him. He groaned a little and his eyes started moving under their lids. "Eric," I moaned again.

His eyes fluttered open and he smiled lazily at me. "You're supposed to be naked when you do that."

My hand came to rest over his heart and I could feel the thundering under my palm. It felt good to know I made him a little nervous, or maybe it just was excitement, even if he didn't always show it. Just knowing I had an affect on him was a confidence booster, because he certainly had an affect on me. I smoothed back some of his hair and shifted slightly on the bed.

"You look like you didn't get much sleep last night," Eric turned and kissed the inside my wrist.

"No, I didn't. I woke up early this morning and had a long talk with my Dad and I realized I was wrong for pushing you away last night. It wasn't about you. It's like when we were talking about money before; I'm just not used to other people wanting to take care of me. I thought about it from your perspective and I think I understand better now. If I were in your position, I would probably do the same thing you're doing. So I'm sorry I just rejected the idea out of hand. I'm going to work on that," I promised him.

"Sookie, I love that you're independent and that you don't _expect_ me to take care of you. I've had a few relationships in the past where as soon as they found out about the money, they assumed I was nothing more than a credit card for them to max out. Doing things for you is more fun for me _because_ you don't expect it. I like being able to surprise you. But I promise I will keep your feelings in mind," Eric told me.

Compromise; it's what relationships were made of, right?

"I'm sorry, Eric. You were being nice to me and I was being ungrateful."

"It's okay. We learn as we go, right?" Eric captured my hand with his.

"You're too forgiving sometimes," I smiled and shook my head at him.

A dangerous look took over his eyes and I found myself pulled forward over his thighs a few seconds later with my butt up in the air. "Should I punish you?" he asked and then playfully slapped my ass.

"Ah!" I squealed and tried to wiggle away.

Play wrestling (dangerous when your boyfriend is already excited) quickly turned into making out and clothes flying every which way. By the time he settled between my legs I was slightly breathless and wanted him every bit as much as he wanted me. I cupped his face and leaned forward to kiss him.

"I love you," I looked into his eyes.

"I love you, too," he kissed me deeply and pushed inside me.

* * *

><p><strong>Seriously, I hate it when these two fight. It really bugs me. Be glad you don't have to hear me whine about it in gchat the way some less fortunate souls do. That said, if I remember correctly, we're headed for some rockier times here in the near future, so batten the hatches lol. And if you're anywhere near Chicago, stay cool. It's hot as hell here right now. Thanks for reading!<strong>


	26. If You Don't Don't

Chapter 26: If You Don't, Don't

Just as quickly as everything seemed to be falling apart, it started to come together again. First I got a lead from Gran that a job was going to be opening up at the local elementary school. My former third grade teacher was retiring and the school had yet to find her replacement. How I had previously missed this bit of information floating around town was beyond me. I immediately put together a resume and sent it in to the school board, hoping for at least a call back.

Then the next week I went to visit the King's Court apartment complex and found a place I liked. It was on the first floor with its own little patio space and a small privacy wall so I wouldn't have people looking in on me all the time. The kitchen had recently been renovated, the carpet was new and there was central heating and air conditioning. The rent was something I could afford, so I put in an application for the apartment.

I informed Steve Newlin that I would be vacating the property no later than August first. I had agreed to stay with Eric if I needed to, until an apartment became available. The only thing that wasn't working out in my favor was my friendship with Sam. He was still being hostile toward me and it was getting so going to work was starting to be something I dreaded. I wanted to work things out with him but I didn't know where to start.

Things came to a head almost two weeks after our original argument. Eric had come up to visit me since he was planning to spend the night at my house. He was going to Sunday supper at Gran's with me the next day and I'd told him to come to the restaurant to get my spare key. There was a lull at the restaurant when he arrived, so I told Arlene I was taking my break before heading out to meet Eric in the parking lot.

I smiled when I saw him and his hello kiss made my toes curl. "Nice to see you, too," I said when he let me go.

"I missed you," he made this dorky face and tickled my neck with kisses that made me giggle.

"Stop it," I pushed him back half heartedly which only made him pull me closer. "Eric, you realize we are dangerously close to being one of those couples that make people want to puke, right?"

"If they were having good sex, they wouldn't care," he bit my ear gently.

"Ohmygod you have to stop," I moaned, knowing I was dangerously close to sneaking off into the woods near the restaurant to do dirty things that weren't meant for public viewing.

"How about I just pause until you get home?" he suggested and gave me a final peck on my neck before standing upright.

"Good idea," I said and reached into the pocket of my apron. "Here you go. The silver one unlocks the deadbolt."

"Thank you," he took the keys from me. "How much time do you have before you have to go back in?"

"About five minutes," I smiled up at him. "Why?"

"Because I have a great idea for how we can spend those five minutes," he wiggled his eyebrows at me and before I could get a word out, his lips were on mine again.

It was completely inappropriate but dammit, my brain just shut off. All I could concentrate on was keeping up with him and how I was pretty sure his kisses could cure cancer or broker world peace. Only I wasn't nearly selfless enough to share him so I would never know for absolutely certain if my theory was correct. I was just reaching the point of being breathless, or possibly brain damaged from lack of oxygen, when I heard Sam clear his throat sharply from behind me.

"If y'all are going to do that, could you not do it in front of my restaurant? This is a family place, not a brothel," Sam glared at me.

I glared right back. Maybe Eric and I were getting a little too hot and heavy with each other but I didn't appreciate Sam's insinuation. Apparently Eric didn't either, because I felt him tense up beside me. I had yet to see the extent of Eric's temper and I wasn't sure I wanted to. Sam didn't know about Eric's past and I sure as heck didn't want it unveiled in front of the whole town.

"We're just wrapping it up, Sam; I'll be right in," I said through clenched teeth, hoping he'd get the message to move on before things got ugly.

"Good. I was afraid I was going to have to start charging people to watch," he snorted and turned to go back inside.

"What's your fucking problem?" Eric asked, stepping around me.

"Eric, don't," I grabbed onto his hand to pull him back but it was useless.

"My problem is that there are little kids inside and they don't need to see Sookie practically mounting her boyfriend in the parking lot!" Sam walked toward Eric and I started to question his intelligence.

Sam was strong; I knew that, but Eric definitely had him beat. I kept tugging on Eric, trying to pull him back. "Boys, this is stupid. Eric, go to my house and wait for me. Sam, get inside and quit being a jerk!"

Sam turned toward me with angry eyes and said, "Quit acting like a whore and-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Eric's fist was flying into his face. I heard the unmistakable crack of a nose breaking and the next thing I knew, Sam was on his knees, holding his nose and blood was gushing everywhere. Eric got that same glazed over look in his eyes and I stood there in shock, trying to figure out what the hell just happened.

"Motherfucker, you broke my nose!" Sam garbled through the blood.

"Eric, go back to my house," I said angrily. When he didn't move I repeated myself.

It took him a minute to come out of his trance and by then, patrons were coming out with towels and ice to take care of Sam. The bartender had already called the police but by the time I found that out, Eric was already gone. I hadn't even noticed him leaving. I knelt down to help Sam but he pushed me away.

"Go home, Sookie," he said bitterly.

"Sam, I-"

"Sookie, get the fuck away from me before I press charges against your boyfriend," Sam threatened and limped off with a few of the guys to take care of his face.

"What the fuck juss happened?" Lafayette appeared at my side. I explained the whole situation to Lafayette who shook his head. "I don't know what done got into that boy. He's been in a mood since you got back from Florida."

"He's pissed off because he thinks I'm choosing Eric over him," I sighed, figuring that was the only explanation that made sense. When Lafayette didn't say anything to correct my assumption, I turned toward him and asked, "Do you think he's right? Am I spending too much time with Eric?"

"Chile, I think you spendin' every minute you _should_ be spendin' with Eric. You ain't got no control over the way you feel and Sam knows damn well the way he feels about you ain't the way you feel about him. He needs to let that shit go and move on. I done told him that I don't know how many times," Lafayette adjusted the scarf that was wrapped around his head.

"Yeah, he does," I agreed quietly.

Lafayette went back inside and tried to get the customers settled again. The police arrived while I was in back getting my things and putting my apron in the laundry. Sam wouldn't even look at me, much less talk to me on my way out. Andy Bellefleur held me up for a minute to ask my side of the story. He looked frustrated and shook his head over in Sam's direction.

"What your boyfriend did is against the law but I can't say I blame him. Frankly, I'm surprised Sam would say something like that about you," Andy was well aware of my friendship with Sam. The whole town was, for that matter.

"Normally he's not the violent type," I said but then realized that wasn't entirely true. Eric and I were going to have a talk about his punch first, reason later attitude.

"Sam's not pressing charges but I would advise you don't bring that boyfriend of yours around here," Andy suggested.

"Don't worry, Andy, after today I'm not sure _I_ even want to be around here," I sighed and pulled my car keys from my purse. "Can I go now?"

"Yeah, that's fine. I'll call you if I need anything else," Andy patted my shoulder in dismissal and I headed to my car without looking back at Sam again.

**o.O.o.O.o**

I drove around for a while, deciding it was better if I took some time to cool my jets and get some perspective on what happened. If it weren't for Eric's past, I might be able to chock it up to Sam getting out of line and Eric just losing his temper. I started to wonder if maybe I had just accepted the person he was a little too easily. But then he wasn't normally violent. He was playful, funny and liked being around people. He wasn't intimidating, mean or vicious.

Driving around didn't get me any answers but it did get me to calm down a little. Eric had parked his car on the street instead of in my driveway. He was sitting on the front steps and I was guessing he hadn't even gone inside. His head was down and at first I wasn't even sure he knew I was there. His right hand was swollen at the knuckles from where he'd hit Sam. Gone was the mischievous Eric I was used to. The form before me was far more morose and dark.

"I'm sorry I hit him, Sookie," Eric said without looking up.

"So am I," I continued to stand there. I made no move to comfort him whatsoever, even though I wanted to. "I wouldn't be worried about what you did if it wasn't for who you used to be. You have a history of violence, Eric, and while there's a part of me that understands why you hit him, there's another part of me that can't help thinking you would have done it sooner or later anyway."

"That's not true," his head snapped up. "He offended you."

"And I can handle him, Eric. I don't need you to defend me and I sure as hell don't need you beating up my friend. And he's not just my friend; he's my boss, too. I could lose my job because of this," I reminded him.

"I know, Sookie, I know. I'm sorry. I screwed up. I know I screwed up."

"That's not good enough," I shrugged. "I think I've been pretty accepting of your past. You have some pretty dark demons and I haven't been too demanding about you explaining yourself to me. I thought I made my peace with it but maybe that person you used to be isn't as gone as I thought. Maybe you haven't really changed at all."

"Is that what you think?" Eric looked at me like I'd just stabbed him in the heart but at least we were feeling the same.

"I don't know what I think," my eyes welled with tears. "I love you, Eric, even the dark parts, but I can't live like this. I don't want to worry that there's always something that's going to set you off."

He looked slightly horrified when he asked, "Do you think I'd hurt you?"

"No, I don't think you would," I truly did believe that and he looked relieved. "But it worries me that I don't know who's safe and who isn't with you. Sam was out of line with what he said but your reaction…it scares me."

"Sookie, if I could take it back, I would. It was just a reflex. He insulted you, and me by association and he, of all people, should know you're not the girl he was insinuating you are."

"Which is exactly why you should have just let it go, Eric," I sighed and rubbed my eyes. "Look, I appreciate you staying here to apologize to me but I can't let you inside. I need some time to sort things out."

"Sookie, this was a one time thing. It will _never_ happen again; I swear," he promised me.

"I want to believe you, Eric, I do. I just need some time," I turned away and wiped the tears that had fallen.

"Sookie, please don't do this," he whispered sadly and I was pretty sure his voice cracked.

"You have to go, Eric, before I change my mind," I couldn't look at him. I knew if I did, I would cave. I heard him stand up and move so he was standing behind me. His hands settled on my shoulders and I tensed up.

"Do you still love me?" he asked nervously.

"Yes, Eric, I still love you," I squeezed my eyes shut and more tears rolled down my cheeks. "I'll call you when I'm ready," I promised him.

"I love you, Sookie," he whispered and kissed my head. He put my keys back in my pocket and then walked to his car.

I turned and went into my house and forced myself not to watch him drive away. I collapsed on my couch and let myself have a good cry. We weren't breaking up; I knew that; I was just confused as to what had happened. Maybe I was making too big a deal of it but I didn't think so. I thought I had every right to be concerned about the sudden lashing out. While it was true he'd been provoked, the punishment didn't quite fit the crime.

If Sam had put his hands on me, I would understand, but he hadn't. He hadn't even come close. I wanted to think Sam would never do something like that, but then I never thought he would call me a whore either. It was a night that was all kinds of fucked up. I ended up falling asleep on my couch shortly after that. I was just too exhausted to haul myself upstairs.

The next morning it was my phone ringing that woke me. I had absolutely no intention of getting up to answer it. I didn't want to talk to anyone. I just wanted to be alone and watch chick flicks and eat ice cream. My answering machine picked up the call and I jumped off the couch when I heard the voice of Niall Brigant, Superintendant of Renard Parish Public Schools.

"Hello?" I interrupted him mid-message.

"Sookie Stackhouse?" he asked warmly.

"Yes, this is she. Thank you for calling me back, Dr. Brigant," I was grinning from ear to ear while I stopped my answering machine.

"No trouble at all, Miss Stackhouse. It is, Miss, isn't it?"

"Yessir, it is," I grabbed for a pen and the little notepad I kept near the phone and sat down at the kitchen table.

"Wonderful. Well, I imagine you know why I'm calling. We received your resume and we would be delighted if you would come in and meet with us. We were particularly impressed to see you are a graduate of Bon Temps Elementary, and we like the idea of hiring someone who has lived in the area her entire life. We feel it would make you more relatable to the parents," Dr. Brigant explained to me.

"That's great, Dr. Brigant. I would love to come and meet with you. I can make myself available whenever it's convenient for you," I promised him.

"Splendid. How's tomorrow morning at eleven? We would like to fill this position as quickly as possible," he told me.

"I will be there at quarter 'til," I said with a smile and he laughed on the other end.

"I like you already, Miss Stackhouse. We'll see you tomorrow," he said jovially.

"Yessir. Have a lovely Sunday," I said and then hung up.

I was in such a good mood I nearly forgot Gran was expecting Eric to be at Sunday supper. My mood deflated when I realized I was going to have to explain why he wasn't coming.

* * *

><p><strong>So how long do you think Sookie will keep Eric on punishment for this? *rocks in corner* I hate when these two are getting along. I really, really hate it. In other news, if you're celebrating Independence Day today, be safe! Watch out for drunk idiots with explosives, or drunk idiots behind the wheel. I'll be watching fireworks from my front yard later on myself. Thanks for reading!<strong>


	27. I Get Lost

**I owe a big fat thank you to Eric Clapton for practically writing this chapter for me via the song "I Get Lost." If you haven't seen the movie "The Story of Us," you are missing out big time. The movie was way underrated, in my opinion, and was fantastic. And the soundtrack was pretty sweet, too.**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 27: I Get Lost<span>

I missed church and after a lengthy conversation with Gran, I was excused from dinner but only with the promise that I go work things out with Eric and bring him around for supper the next week. I told her about Eric's past and she was completely shocked, but understood why I had reacted the way I did.

"Relationships are never easy, honey, and anyone who says they are has never really been in love," Gran told me with all the wisdom of her years. "I loved Mitchell dearly, but there were times when I wanted to strangle him. It's going to happen. The important thing is to remember that love is something that is constantly growing and changing. Sometimes it grows too fast, or changes too much for us to recognize, but it's love all the same."

I nodded tearfully, even though Gran couldn't see it. "Thank you, Gran."

"You're welcome, honey. Now go fix it. Oh, and Sookie?"

"Yes Gran?"

"If you're going to accept him for who he is, then you can't keep bringing up his past. Either you've made your peace with it or you haven't," Gran said and wished me luck before letting me off the phone.

I decided I wanted to meet some place neutral, so after I showered and got dressed; I took a few deep breaths before calling Eric. It was early, so there was the chance he wasn't awake yet but I was willing to risk it. If he didn't answer I would just go over to his house like I had the last time we fought. I really hoped this wasn't going to become a regular thing because fighting with him killed me.

"Sookie?" he said sleepily.

"Yeah, it's me," I spoke softly. "I'm sorry I woke you up."

"I wasn't sleeping. I didn't sleep last night," he confessed. Great.

"Can I see you?" I asked him.

"I can be there in a half hour," he volunteered.

"Actually, I was thinking we should meet somewhere neutral," I told him.

"Oh," he sounded about as sad as a person could.

"How about that Dairy Queen in Minden?" I suggested since it had been successful for us in the past.

"Sure. What time?"

"When can you get there?"

"A half hour."

"Alright, then I'll see you in a half hour."

"See you then," he said and hung up.

I was thankful then that I hadn't bothered to put on any makeup. I slipped on a pair of sandals, grabbed my purse and headed out. I pulled into the parking lot a few minutes early and grabbed a table outside the small restaurant. I sat anxiously, drumming my fingers against the worn picnic tabletop, waiting for Eric to arrive. My foot tapped against the cement just as nervously. I tried to figure out what I was going to say to him.

I had no idea. The more I thought about it, the more convoluted my line of thinking became and I resolved to stop putting so much thought into it. I would just say whatever came to mind when I saw him. When his car pulled into the parking lot, my heart leapt up into my throat, clogging my airway and preventing me from being able to take the deep breaths I so desperately needed.

I watched as he unfolded himself from the car and walked toward me. Aviator sunglasses hid his eyes from me but he was wearing the same clothes he had been wearing the night before. His right hand was still puffy and starting to bruise. Had he not iced it when he got home? I told myself I wasn't going to cry but I could already tell that was going to go right out the window the minute he spoke.

I wanted to jump up, run to him and kiss him until I forgot why we were ever upset in the first place, but I couldn't do that. I stayed right where I was and watched him trek toward me. It didn't take long with those long legs of his. My heart found its place in my chest when he bent down to kiss my forehead. His lips lingered and I could have sworn I heard him breathe me in.

"Thank you for agreeing to meet me," I smiled at him and took off my sunglasses.

He did the same and I could tell he really hadn't slept the night before. His eyes were red-rimmed and a little swollen, suggesting I wasn't the only one who had spent a portion of the night crying. I reached across the table for his hand and he reached back for mine. Once our fingers were laced together, I just stared at our hands for a minute. All words escaped me. All I could think about was my hand in his and how right it felt having it there.

"Last night was a mistake, Sookie. I would do anything to take it back if it worked that way, but it doesn't. I will do anything to prove to you that something like that won't happen again. I'll go to anger management, see a counselor, whatever it takes," he looked almost desperate, which shook me.

"Eric, I'm not here to break up with you," I told him and he breathed a sigh of relief.

"You're not?"

"No! Eric," I slid over to his side of the table and sat next to him. "You scared me last night; I'm not going to lie. I wasn't expecting you to go from zero to ninety like that. It made me wonder if maybe I was only seeing you the way I do because I want to ignore the other parts of you that are a little darker, and most people would run from. The man I saw last night was so different from the one I've gotten to know and it was just a reminder that you had this whole other life before you met me and it's difficult to reconcile that person with the one sitting next to me."

"I will tell you anything you want to know," Eric laced his fingers with mine and kissed the back of my hand.

I kissed his hand in return and held our hands over my heart. "I'm sorry I pushed you away, Eric."

"Sookie, don't apologize. If the situation was reversed, I would probably do the same thing," he said graciously.

I laughed and said, "No you wouldn't. You'd be right there hounding me until I cracked. I mean that in a good way, just so we're clear."

He leaned over and kissed me and I felt the weight lift just a little off my shoulders. We weren't out of the woods yet, but we were taking a step in the right direction. For once it was Eric's growling tummy that alerted us to a need for food. I had been so nervous; food was the last thing on my mind. We got in his car and went to a small diner a few blocks away to have breakfast.

I got chocolate chip pancakes with strawberries and Eric had this enormous omelet wrapped in hashbrowns and filled with chorizo, green peppers, onions and cheese. The omelet looked more like a small mountain than it did breakfast. Then again, I only made if through two of my five pancakes before asking for a box to take the rest home. Eric, on the other hand, polished off the entire omelet alone with his two plain pancakes. The food was good, but when I was stressed, eating got difficult. My appetite depleted itself almost entirely.

"So what now?" Eric asked after we paid the check. I insisted on going dutch, and for once, Eric didn't argue with me. "Do you have dinner with your family?"

"No, I've been excused. I talked to Gran this morning and told her you and I were having some trouble and she let me off the hook so we could work it out," I told him as we walked to his car.

"Did you tell her everything?" Eric asked and I knew he was referring to his past.

"Yeah, I did. She was surprised by it, but she told me the past is the past and the important thing is that you aren't that person anymore. She reminded me Jason would have done the same thing if he heard what Sam said."

"That's why I did it, Sookie. It's not like I was waiting for the chance to clock him. He's supposed to be your best friend and _that's_ the way he talks about you? And in front of me? It's almost like he wanted me to do it," Eric's hands clenched. "I'm glad Gran took it well. I know her opinion means a lot to you. I also know there are generally two reactions I'm going to get when people hear about my past: either they're going to write me off as a wolf in sheep's clothing, or they're going to stick around hoping for something dangerous to happen. They're looking for excitement or some kind of life on the edge and that's not what _I_ want. I want something stable; something I've never had before," he stopped walking and turned to face me. "I think that's why I fell in love with you, Sookie. You're not like anyone I've ever met before. I've never been with someone who made _me_ feel safe. I never thought I'd want to feel that way, but I do and it makes me love you more."

The things he said sometimes were just so spot on I couldn't even begin to explain to him how amazing it was. I wrapped my arms around him tightly and listened to his heart beating calmly in his chest. I felt him relax a little at the increased contact between us. His hand stroked the back of my neck gently before moving down my back.

"I love you, too, Eric," I tilted my face up to kiss him. What started out as a gently kiss of apology and acceptance turned into something far more heated. "Take me home," I said when the kiss broke.

**o.O.o.O.o**

I wasn't sure what I meant when I told Eric to take me home, but I wasn't disappointed when we pulled into his driveway. I would have to go back for my car later. The whole ride back to Eric's house was an experiment in how much foreplay we could handle before we burst into flames. By the time we got back to his house, I thought I was going to explode.

We hadn't had make up sex after our first fight, which was sort of baffling to me but maybe it was because the fight was over so quickly. Or maybe it was because sex was still so new to our relationship. Whatever the reason, it was obvious we wouldn't be skipping it this time around. We made it as far as the living room before we decided we'd waited long enough.

Thank God the curtains were closed or we would have had to go all the way upstairs, which suddenly seemed like a thousand mile trek instead of just a few feet away. We didn't even get all of our clothes off before Eric pounced on me, hard and ready from all the teasing in the car we had both tried to innocently pretend we weren't guilty of doing. Hell, my panties weren't even all the way off when I bent forward over the arm of the couch and heard the zipper of Eric's jeans being lowered.

A rush of adrenaline hit me and my heart started pounding. Not that sex with Eric was ever boring but he was even more fun when he got impatient. I expected to feel him slide inside me and he did, just not the part I expected. I turned and looked over my shoulder as much as I could and could only see the lusty gleam in his eyes as his tongue moved against my already slick flesh.

I kept watching, although I couldn't see what he was doing. I definitely felt it, however, and it was amazing. He pushed my legs a shoulder's width apart and the flick of his tongue against my clit made my knees weak. It was a good thing he had a firm hold on me. I gave up on watching him and just let my head fall forward to rest against the arm of the couch.

"Oh sweet Jesus," I muttered when he slipped a finger inside me, twisting it slightly in search of the spot he knew would drive me crazy. "Oh fuck!" I shouted when he rubbed against it and his tongue moved a little faster.

A string of dirty words left my mouth while the lovely beginning stages of an orgasm started to build deep in my belly. I was breathing hard between cusses and holding onto the couch for dear life in case my knees really did go out. I was right on the edge of my orgasm when Eric stood up and pulled my panties the rest of the way off. My body was shifted so my knee was up on the arm of the couch and I was leaning more toward the back of it. I had just turned my head to look back at Eric again when he grabbed his cock and teased me with it.

"Eric, please," I whimpered and tried to push back a little.

After one last brush against my clit he readjusted his position and slowly pushed inside me. My eyes went wide and then squeezed shut. One hand grabbed the back of the couch to keep me sturdy and the other held his wrist. His hands were warm and squeezing my hips as he started to thrust slowly, letting the momentum build gradually, only to slow down and start all over again.

All of a sudden he pulled out and I just about screamed in frustration. "Why'd you stop?" I asked over my shoulder.

Eric pulled me upright and around the couch. He collapsed and pulled me into his lap so I was straddling him. "Because I like watching your face when you come," he said and kissed me deeply while I lowered myself onto him again.

With that in mind, I pulled back and held onto his shoulders while I rose and fell slowly. Our eyes met and we stared at each other as I moved. His hands remained on my hips, guiding me up and down and squeezing a little tighter whenever I'd rock against him instead. There was such intensity in his eyes and what had started out as somewhat of a frenzy to get off became something else.

"I love you, Sookie," he said with such sincerity that it brought tears to my eyes.

I nodded, unable to speak and instead leaned forward to kiss him. Sometimes kisses were better than words and I hoped mine told him what he needed to know because I certainly loved him back. The way he was looking at me might have been the biggest turn-on ever and even though I was getting close to coming, I refused to move faster like I wanted to. Instead, the pleasure was drawn out until I finally exploded.

Eric followed right behind me, or under me, rather, and then I was crushed against his chest. We kept on staring at each other, neither of us anxious to speak. Instead we decided to keep on kissing it out until he was ready to go again, only we went upstairs for round two….and three a while later.

**o.O.o.O.o**

"Are you staying the night?" Eric's fingers ghosted up and down my back.

"I can't. I got a phone call from Dr. Niall Brigant, Superintendent of Renard Parish schools this morning. I have a job interview tomorrow morning," I smiled at him.

"Sookie, that's great!" He rolled on top of me and kissed me. "Why didn't you tell me before?"

"Because we had other things to discuss," I giggled and rubbed his neck. "And I didn't want to jinx myself just in case I blow it."

"No way. You're going to do great, lover," he did that random kissing thing he did on my neck when he was feeling playful or excited, and the tickle of the scruff on his jaw made me laugh.

"Okay, okay, enough!" I said between laughs and pushed him back gently. "Did you really think I was going to break up with you earlier?"

The playfulness disappeared from his yes, only to be replaced with something a little stormier. "I knew it was a possibility. You were pretty upset with me last night. I thought maybe I crossed one of those lines that couldn't be uncrossed."

"I'm still not happy with you for that. I can handle Sam," I told him. "But I was wrong to just shut you out like I did. I should have given you a chance to explain."

"Look, it's obvious to me that Sam has feelings for you beyond that of just a friend. You wouldn't even have to tell me for me to know that. I see it in the way he looks at you or talks about you and I don't make a big deal over it because I know you're with me. I try not to lord it over him because I don't need to, and because I know how much it would suck if I were in his position. But that's part of the reason why I reacted the way I did. He's supposed to be your _best friend_ and that's the way he treats you? It's completely unacceptable," Eric pointed out.

I knew he was right and Sam would be getting his soon enough but I was content to let Sam stew in his own juices for a while. Fixing things with Eric was definitely the bigger priority for me.

"My temper got the better of me, Sookie," Eric sighed in frustration.

"That's going to happen, Eric. People are going to push your buttons and sometimes say mean things to me because they want to hurt me or because they're assholes. I can't have you going around beating up everyone that treats me poorly."

"Not everyone, just the people who say they care about you and then treat you like garbage," Eric said with a smile on his face.

"Not funny, Eric," I rolled my eyes. "I can take care of myself, you know. I don't need you to do things like that."

"It was selfish," Eric admitted but didn't sound at all repentant about it. "But I need you to understand that when someone hurts you, they hurt me, too. And because Sam is your friend, the things he said to you never should have been said."

"And Sam is going to get his from me the next time I see him, don't you worry about it. He sent me home last night and it was better for me to just go than make things worse, but that doesn't mean he's not in for it. Right now, the only thing I can really afford to concentrate on is doing well on my interview tomorrow," I told Eric.

"I predict you're going to do very well tomorrow," he dipped his hips against mine and I grinned at him. Apparently the fight was over, at least for the time being.

"Not if I can't walk normally," I stuck my tongue out at him, but he seemed to take that as an invitation to kiss me again since my tongue ended up in his mouth.

"Walking is overrated," he said when he pulled away.

"So is marathon sex," I said and reached between us.

Eric groaned and I felt an immediate reaction when my hand wrapped around him. He smiled at me and said, "I would never take that for granted."

"Good, but your favorite play area is closed for the rest of the night," I told him as I started stroking.

"Mmmm, that's not my favorite play area," he smirked at me.

My eyebrows rose and said, "Is that so?"

He nodded and then lowered his mouth to my breasts. Right. I should have known that. It frustrated him that I wouldn't allow him to reciprocate what he considered to be the huge favor I was doing for him, but I didn't see it that way. I was perfectly content to lay there beneath him and make out while I touched him. He wasn't the only one who enjoyed watching someone's face when they came.

"Sookie, I'm close," he warned me but I didn't stop. In fact, I sped up a little and made sure to swipe my thumb over the tip of him.

Purely on a whim, my free hand moved from his side and pinched his nipple. His cock jerked and just as his mouth was crashing down on mine again; I felt the spurts of his release land on my stomach and breasts. I moaned into his mouth and slowed my strokes until he stopped shaking.

"You're going to kill me one day, woman," Eric said and then resumed kissing me.

I didn't even get a chance to tell him the feeling was mutual.

* * *

><p><strong>Okay, angsty moment cleared up there. I don't know who I was more pissed off at while writing these last two chapters: Sam for being a dick, Eric for punching him or Sookie for pushing Eric away. The important thing is, they're getting things back on track and Sookie has a job interview to go to. Sam'll be getting his ass chewing soon as well. I really don't know what to do with this friendship of theirs. Oy. To all my American readers, I hope you're having a very fun and very SAFE 4th of July. I am sporting a buzz and some righteous tan lines right now thanks to the days festivities. Thanks for reading!<strong>


	28. This is Your Life

Chapter 28: This is Your Life

It struck me as I was having my morning coffee that I had never been on a job interview before. Every job I'd ever had in the past was pretty much handed to me by a friend, or someone I'd known my whole life. Meeting with Dr. Brigant was going to be very different from Mrs. Beck over at the library when Gran told me she was looking for someone to help with shelving books. I should have done something more to prepare myself for this.

While it was true I had done my student teaching rotation at a school in Shreveport, I felt vastly under qualified all of a sudden for the position I had applied for. I was certified to teach K-8th grade but I still felt overwhelmed. What if I was asked one of those trick questions they sometimes as in interviews to see how creative you are, or how logical you might be? You know, something like, if you throw a suitcase overboard from a boat, how much will the water increase?

I was probably driving myself crazy for no good reason, but I spent the bulk of the morning going over all the possibilities. I even practiced speaking out loud while answering these imaginary questions so my voice wouldn't be all shaky when I got to the school. I pulled my hair back into a French twist so I wouldn't be so tempted to play with it when I got nervous. I wore a dress with a ruffled ivory top and black skirt. I located a pair of black pumps I rarely ever wore and decided Gran's pearls were the right way to go as far as jewelry was concerned.

I was just about to leave when my phone chirped, alerting me to a new text message from Eric. My heart was pounding away in my chest but seeing his name made me feel better. He must have set an alarm to wake himself up so he could send me the text before I got to the interview. I had promised him I would go straight to his house after the interview was over. I'd called Lafayette the night before to let him know I had to take the day off on account of my interview.

He'd been shocked to hear from me since I usually dealt directly with Sam, but given the recent turn of events, I didn't want my first words to Sam to be something about taking the day off. I knew I couldn't avoid Sam forever, but I really needed to get my head right. I needed to get this job and start my real, grown up life. I couldn't spend all my time worrying about what Sam was going to think of me.

I stared at Eric's message and was thankful he'd sent me something silly instead of something that would get me all emotional and make me want to cry. I had no idea where he came up with this stuff, but I loved him for digging it up and sending it to me.

_Donald Duck's middle name is Fauntleroy. Don't judge, they might ask. I love you._

I sent him a quick response, thanking him for the info and told him I loved him back. I put my phone on silent and slipped it in my bag. I gathered up my things and stopped short when I saw a single one of those naughty orchids resting on the windshield of my car. There wasn't a card, of course, but I knew who it was from. I tossed my bag with a change of clothes, my uniform and work shoes into the backseat and then got behind the wheel.

The drive to the school only took five minutes, which was great while I was living in Bon Temps, but what if I moved in with Eric? I shook that thought away. I couldn't really think about it just then. We were still a long way from living together on a permanent basis and the King's Court apartments weren't too far away. At most, I'd be looking at ten minutes to get to or from work. Not too shabby.

I pulled into the parking lot of the school with ten minutes to spare. I sat behind the wheel for a minute and collected myself before grabbing my purse and the file folder with my teaching certificate, diploma, resume and recommendations from professors, the teacher I'd worked with in Shreveport and the two job references I had. I left my car unlocked because it was Bon Temps and the craziest thing to happen in years was back when Jason was a senior on the football team and the rival high school's mascot ended up kidnapped.

The school's doors were unlocked and I could hear the sounds of children laughing. I thought it was strange until I remembered the day camp used the classrooms from time to time on movie days or for arts and crafts projects. From memory, I knew where the principal's office was. I'd never been sent there once the nine years I had attended the school, but I'd had to see the nurse once or twice and her office was right next to that. There were two desks set up just outside Ms. Octavia Fant's office where secretaries sat; doing whatever it was they did all day during the school year.

As it was, their desks were empty but I could see they had pictures of their husbands, children, nieces, nephews, pets and whatever else one might have pictures of on their desk at work. When I got to Ms. Fant's office, I took a deep, calming breath. At the last minute I reached into my bag and turned off my cell phone entirely. I didn't want to risk someone calling or texting, sending a quiet buzz into the room. I dropped the device back into my bag and then raised my hand to knock.

"Enter!" Ms. Fant called from inside the office.

A small woman with salt and pepper hair was seated behind the large desk toward the back of the office. A large painting of a lovely plantation in its prime hung behind her desk. Ms. Fant smiled at me warmly and rose from her seat. She was a few inches shorter than me, but she was wearing flats. I suspected if I wasn't wearing the shoes I was we'd be about the same height. She extended a milk chocolate hand in my direction in welcome.

"Hello, I'm Sookie Stackhouse," I introduced myself.

"It's lovely to meet you, dear; I'm Octavia Fant. Please, have a seat. Dr. Brigant should be with us shortly," she gestured to one of the two chairs opposite the seat behind her desk. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"Oh, no, thank you," I smiled up at her.

"Did you find us alright?" she gave me a knowing smile.

"I could find this place blindfolded and with only one leg," I crossed my legs and kept my hands in my lap.

"Dr. Brigant mentioned you attended this school as a child."

"I did," I nodded. "As a matter of fact, Miss Detria was my third grade teacher."

"So then you're a lifelong resident?"

"Yes, ma'am. My family has been here for as long as the town has been established," I told her and her eyes lit up.

"You're Adele's granddaughter, is that right?" she asked and I nodded. "Oh, how wonderful! I met Adele last year when I first got involved with the Descendants of the Glorious Dead! She's a real pip, isn't she?"

A pip, huh? That was certainly a word that had never been used to describe my Gran before, but I supposed it would fit just fine. Before Ms. Fant could get too deep into her talk of DGD (which I had decided long ago I was _never_ going to join), Dr. Brigant arrived. Where Ms. Fant was a little more bohemian in her sense of style, Dr. Brigant was far more formal. He was wearing a perfectly pressed suit and even walked with a cane; although I wasn't entirely convinced he needed it. Still, it made him look dapper or distinguished.

Much like Ms. Fant, he had a warm and welcoming smile. He extended his lily white hand to me and squeezed. There was something almost familiar about him but I couldn't place quite what it was. His flaxen hair was neatly styled and combed away from his face. His skin was soft and warm and he had a firm handshake. Daddy always told me you could judge a man by the way they shook your hand, and I decided right away that I liked Dr. Brigant for not doing that flimsy squeeze thing just because I was a woman. He shook my hand like he would a man and I appreciated that a great deal.

"You must be Susannah," he said to me, revealing pearly white teeth.

"Yessir, I am. I'm pleased to meet you," I curtsied slightly and much to his delight.

"Sorry I'm running a bit behind this morning," he apologized and pulled in a rolling chair from one of the secretary's desks to take a seat beside Ms. Fant opposite me. He got himself settled and asked, "Shall we get started?"

I nodded and then we were off to the races.

**o.O.o.O.o**

I walked out of the school feeling extremely confident. The interview had gone quite well and both Dr. Brigant and Ms. Fant seemed to like me. I answered every question they had, discussed my education with them, as well as my own personal views on what it meant to be a good educator. They were both very excited over the fact that I lived in town, and was familiar with the families. I didn't leave the school with a job offer, but Dr. Brigant assured me I would hear from him no later than Friday.

On my way out, I thanked them both, shook their hands and decided regardless of the outcome, I was going to send each of them a thank you note for taking the time to meet with me. I tried not to run to my car, I was so excited. Of course the second I got into it I felt like I was melting. We were approaching August and that meant the hottest part of the year was officially descending on us. Already it had to be close to ninety degrees outside.

I turned on my phone and called Dad first. I would have called Eric if I wasn't headed toward his house. I went over everything that happened in the interview and told him I left with a good feeling about it. He congratulated me and wished me luck before excusing himself to deal with a customer. I called Gran after that and had pretty much the exact same conversation I had with Dad, only she asked about Eric after I caught her up on the job front.

"We worked it out, Gran," I assured her. "And he said he'd be delighted to come for supper on Sunday."

I pulled into Eric's driveway close to an hour after my interview ended to find there was an expensive foreign car parked in his driveway I had never seen before. The license plate read 'LVKING,' which I found to be just as odd as the car itself. I pulled around to the side and parked my car in the garage next to Eric's Corvette.

I didn't even make it into the house before Eric was coming out to greet me. "I missed you," I pulled him into a hug but he felt a little stiffer than usual, and not in a sex kind of way. "What's wrong?"

"Where is your phone?" he demanded.

"In my purse, why?" I peered around him but he blocked my view.

"Turn it on, get back in your car and leave," he told me.

"What?" I stared up at him.

His hand covered my mouth and he leaned down to whisper, "I can't explain it right now but I don't want you here. Just trust me, Sookie. I'll call you when it's safe for you to come back. I love you," he brushed a kiss on my forehead and then went back in the house.

Well what the fuck was that? Feeling slightly dejected, I got back in my car, started the engine and pulled out of the garage. Obviously his company made him uncomfortable. If I didn't know any better, I might have thought he was attempting to hide a mistress from me. If that was the case, I was getting the better end of the deal where Eric was concerned, since he was fully dressed and definitely not in the mood for sex. I let the letters on the vanity plate of the strange car go through my mind. I tried to decipher what it meant, or who it might be but I kept coming up blank.

I wanted to call Sam and tell him about my interview but we still needed to talk about his broken nose, not to mention the reason it was broken, so that was a no go. I ended up at the mall since it was at least air conditioned. I'd only had a piece of toast and some fruit for breakfast since my nerves were taking up most of the space in my stomach. I marched into the food court and decided I had earned a treat for doing so well in the interview and got a slice of pizza.

I was debating over whether or not I deserved ice cream as well when my phone started buzzing in my bag. I scrambled to find it and breathed a sigh of relief when I saw Eric's name on the display. "Are you okay? What's going on? Who was at your house?" I rapid fired my questions at him.

"I'm fine. My uninvited guests have left, so it's safe for you to come back now," Eric told me. He sounded tired, or maybe weary. I didn't like the sound of it.

"Who was it?" I asked him nervously. The mothra from early were returning to take up whatever free space I had been reserving for ice cream.

"I'll tell you when you get here," he promised.

There was a moment of silence before I asked, "Eric, are you really okay?"

"No, I'm not," he admitted with a sigh.

**o.O.o.O.o**

I broke several speed limits on the drive back to Eric's. Hearing him so shaken was doing terrible things to me and by the time I got back to his house, my hands were shaking uncontrollably. Generally speaking, he was the very definition of confidence. Very few things rattled him and it was as I was pulling into his garage for a second time I realized the uninvited guests were probably people from his past.

Eric was waiting for me there when I pulled in and I could tell that whatever weariness he'd been feeling when I'd talked him was gone. In its place was a look of frustration and maybe anger. It did little to stop my hands from shaking and instead made me nervous for other reasons. I didn't think his anger was directed at me. We were good. We'd spent enough time talking and in bed together the day before to settle our differences, for the moment, and I had no reason to think that had flared up.

He walked toward me as I go out of the car with determination on his face and before I could get a full sentence out of my mouth his lips were on mine. His kiss was hungry and forceful, and I knew as soon as he had me pinned up against my car that talking was going to have to wait. His mind was clearly focused on one thing, and it wasn't rehashing whatever it was that had upset him in the first place.

He kept me pinned against the car with his mouth moving expertly over my neck and his hand snaking its way up my skirt and into my panties. I gulped for air and tried to push him back so we could at least go in the house since the garage door was wide open and I didn't want to give the neighbors a free show, but Eric cleverly lifted his head and claimed my mouth again, leaving me breathless and thinking less clearly. He knew exactly what he was doing and he intended to have me just as frenzied as he was.

Only the intensity started to become a little too much and even though I wanted to give myself over to it, my brain was too aware of what was happening for me to really get into it. My body was responding like it should with my knees getting a little weak and there was definitely moisture pooling between my thighs from the attention of his fingers, but I was still mindful of what was happening. It dawned on me that if I let him keep going, this was just going to become another form of violence and I wasn't okay with that.

"Eric, wait," I pushed at his shoulders and when he tried to silence me with another kiss I turned my head to the side. "Babe, come on, slow down a minute."

"I want you. Now," his fingers moved a little faster and even though it felt amazing and there was a part of me that wanted to give in, I couldn't.

"Eric, stop," I pushed him again and when that didn't really seem to do anything, I reached up and slapped him. That got his attention. "Eric, what's gotten into you?"

He looked dazed for a minute and then regretful. His cheek was pink from where I'd hit him and my eyes filled with tears. Violence. This was bad. It was a pattern I didn't want to start and I didn't like the idea of having to use it in order to get his attention. My stomach turned and I started crying silently.

"Sookie…I'm…baby, I'm sorry," he removed his hand from my panties and gathered me into a hug. "I don't know what I was thinking, I'm so sorry."

"What happened to you, Eric?" I asked while I was still crushed against him.

He pulled back and looked down at my face. "Come inside and I'll tell you everything," he said and kissed my forehead.

I took a shaky breath and then nodded. I grabbed my things from inside the car and followed him into the house. We went to the kitchen since it was neutral territory and I dropped my things on the table there. Eric went to the fridge and got me a glass of iced tea before sitting across from me at the table. I took a few sips and wiped the tears from my cheeks. The day had started out well, at least in comparison to what I was currently feeling. No one had ever gotten to me the way Eric did and getting used to it wasn't easy.

"Alright, so tell me who came to see you," I said after a few minutes to collecting myself.

Eric took a deep breath and said, "Victor Madden came to see me."

Fuck. That couldn't have been good, which explained why Eric wanted me gone. I didn't really want to meet Victor myself, so I was glad he was able to slip out of the house without Victor following him.

As if he was reading my mind he said, "You got here just when Victor was in the bathroom. I didn't want him to see you. He knows I'm dating someone, but he doesn't know who. I imagine it's only a matter of time until he finds out, but I don't want to take any chances."

"Take any chances?" I arched an eyebrow at him.

"He's being investigated, Sookie. I mean, he's almost always got a tail on him but things are starting to get hot again. He thinks maybe there's a rat in his crew feeding information to the police and he wanted to see if I would be willing to get in touch with some of my old contacts to see what the word was on the street," Eric explained.

"He wants you to come back to work for him, is that it?" I asked nervously.

He nodded again and said, "I told him I'm out of the business for good. I haven't talked to _anyone_ from that part of my life in more than four years. I told him I'm at the point where I want to settle down, get married and have a family of my own and I don't want the underground to have anything to do with that."

I felt relieved to hear him say that but something in the way he was looking at me told me it wasn't as easy as Eric just saying he wanted out. I knew he'd been stabbed once already and I started to worry that Eric's life was in danger. "Eric, are you in trouble?"

He sighed and shook his head, "No, I don't think so. If there's one thing Victor knows for absolutely certain about me it's that I am loyal. I don't want any trouble with them so everything I know, I keep to myself. It's the reason why I can't tell you a lot of things about what I used to do. It's to your benefit that you don't know anything about it."

"Like the Soprano's?" I smirked and Eric did for a moment too, before shaking his head.

"You're a wildcard to them, Sookie. They don't know who you are yet, but they will. They'll start researching and watching to see who you are, who you talk to, what you do, where you go and whatever else they can dig up on you. They're going to want to know everything about you to make sure you're not connected to the feds or law enforcement. I don't think you're in any kind of danger but I need you to watch your back when I'm not around just until I can find out if any orders have been given," Eric told me.

"So you're telling me if they find something they don't like, they could have me killed?" My eyes widened in shock.

Okay, so, this was when I started to wonder just what the fuck I had gotten myself into. Eric had talked about his past like it was serious, but not really that big of a deal. He hadn't ever bothered to mention to me before that I could end up in the crosshairs at some point. It probably should have occurred to me anyway, but because I was so caught up in the person he'd become instead of the person he _was_, I didn't think about it. Of course, that all changed when he told me to watch my back.

"They could do that with anyone," he said wearily, "But yes, it's possible."

I scoffed and asked, "Why is this the first time you're telling me this, Eric? We've been together almost two months and this is the first time you're mentioning this to me."

"Because I didn't think it was going to come up. If Victor is coming to me for help, then that means the police must be getting really damn close to nailing him for something. Maybe he thinks the addition in my life is the reason why. I don't know," Eric shrugged.

"Okay, I get that, but why didn't you tell me I was in danger, too?" I demanded.

He rubbed his forehead and leaned back in his chair. "I didn't want you to run, Sookie. You are the first person I've met in a long time that has accepted me for exactly what I am, where I've been and everything in between. I didn't want to lose that."

"And you didn't think it wasn't just a little bit selfish to keep this from me? I can understand why you didn't trust me with this information in the beginning, Eric, but what about Florida? You had me all to yourself for a week. You told me you loved me; that you trusted me, but you didn't tell me this," I said angrily and tears sprang into my eyes again.

He looked like I stabbed him in the heart but I was kind of feeling the same way. I didn't think I was at all out of line for being pissed at him. He was holding things back and it wasn't fair to me. How was I supposed to really understand him, or the danger I was in, if I couldn't see the whole picture? I got up from the table and went to stand by the counter. I knew if I stayed too close to him I was going to reach out and comfort him and I wanted to stay angry for a while.

I dumped the rest of my tea down the drain and rinsed out my glass before putting it in the dishwasher. Eric said nothing while I walked over to the table and picked up my stuff. I started walking toward the front of the house and that got his attention.

"Are you leaving?" he called out from the kitchen table, sounding rather miserable.

"No, I'm going upstairs to take a shower," I answered and then started up the stairs.

I could have left. Hell, I probably should have, but what good was that going to do? I owed him an apology for hitting him, even though he would probably say he deserved worse for not listening when I told him to back off. I dropped my stuff on his bed and then continued to the bathroom. I started the shower and reached behind me to unzip my dress. I was torn on whether or not I wanted Eric to follow me into the shower. Part of me wanted to be alone for a while and think things over while the other part wanted to cling to him for as long as I could. Those conflicting feelings were both intense and hard to reconcile.

I stepped under the spray and closed my eyes. I tried to picture my life in the future, which was hard to do with my emotions so at war, but I pushed that away. I let my mind go blank, took a few deep breaths and slowly started to see the future coming into focus. I saw a modest house out in the country with a pair of Terry's Catahoulas patrolling the front yard, watching for intruders. I saw a tire swing hanging from a tree covered with Spanish Moss off to the side of the house. Delicate wind chimes tinkled lightly in the breeze and a porch swing hung perfectly still at the far end of the porch.

In my mind I walked up the lawn and the dogs came over to greet me like they knew me. I petted their heads and they followed my commands when I told them to stay on the lawn. I walked up to the house and smiled at the lace curtains hanging to cover the glass panes of the double doors. Identical curtains were hanging in the big living room window, and I could see two small children playing on the floor. A little boy was pushing toy cars and a little girl was coloring at the coffee table.

I walked inside the house and the kids came running up to me. Both of them had blonde hair and blue eyes, but they didn't exactly look like me. There was familiarity, but they weren't carbon copies. The little girl jumped until I picked her up. She was the younger of the two and she clung to my neck while the boy hugged my hips. My children; they had to be my children. A whimpering sound came from deeper within the house and as I slowly moved toward the noise, my children started chattering, each of them wanting my full attention at the same time.

In the kitchen, a fair haired baby sat in a high chair, smacking against the plastic tray with one hand, while chasing Cheerios with the other. When the baby saw me, a cheesy and toothy grin lit up its drool covered face. My baby had a dimple in its left cheek but I couldn't tell from where I was standing if it was my son or daughter I was looking at and the white onesie it was wearing gave away no clues.

"Mommy's home," a familiar voice caught my attention and I turned to see a faceless man approaching.

The closer he got, the more his face came into focus and by the time he was standing right in front of me, I could see him clearly. It was Eric. I set my daughter down and reached for Eric instead. His hands came up to cup my face and there was a telling gold band on his left ring finger. I looked down to see one on my own hand and then I looked up at him and smiled. He was my husband. This was our family; our life.

The closing of the shower door pulled me from my vision and I looked up to see Eric standing in front of me. His hands came up to cup my face and even though there was no gold band on his finger, I couldn't help but feel like I now knew something I hadn't known before. For better or worse, I was going to stick it out. I was going to do whatever I had to in order to make things work because I belonged with him.

There was a future for us if I could just dig deep enough to get it. I touched his cheek where I'd slapped him and then rose up on my toes to kiss that spot. I hated myself for hitting him after the lecture I'd given him on violence. I felt like a hypocrite.

"I'm sorry I hit you," I looked into his eyes and his lips were so close to mine he practically swallowed my words.

"I love you, Sookie. I'm sorry I didn't tell you the whole truth sooner," his eyes searched mine and I nodded my forgiveness.

I closed the last few inches between us and kissed him softly. It was never going to be perfect, but like Gran said, relationships were always changing and growing. By the time Eric had me pressed against the tile wall of the shower, I knew my love for him had grown just a little bit more.

* * *

><p><strong>Stupid Victor getting all up in Eric's grill and hinting at making threats to her safety. You know that ain't gonna fly for too long. Thanks for reading!<strong>


	29. Little Lion Man

Chapter 29: Little Lion Man

I was stretched out on Eric's bed, nearly asleep when my cell phone rang in my purse. I groaned at the idea of getting up to answer it. I was so comfortable there next to him. I stuck my arm out and curled my fingers like I could will the phone into my hands.

"What are you doing?" Eric asked with amusement.

"Reaching for the phone," I mumbled and his chest rumbled under my ear.

"I'll get it," he kissed my head and then slid out from under me to get my purse for me.

I stayed in the exact same position, only shifting slightly so he could get back under me when he returned to bed. It wasn't late, so it wasn't unreasonable for anyone to call me. In fact, we were going to have to get out of bed soon and start making dinner if we didn't want to be eating at midnight. I dug my phone out of my purse but was too late to answer the call.

"It was Jason," I wrinkled my nose at the screen. My brother rarely ever called me, so he must have had something important to talk about. "I'll be quick," I promised and kissed Eric's chest before rolling out of bed.

I went downstairs, hoping if I was away from Eric I wouldn't get distracted and rush through the call. Snuggling my boyfriend was definitely more appealing than dealing with whatever Jason needed, but I couldn't ignore the rest of my life forever. Jason answered almost immediately and sounded extremely flustered.

"Sook, thank God! Where are you?" Jason demanded.

"Hi, Jase, I'm fine. How are you?" Gran woulda knocked him upside his head for answering his phone that way.

"I'm sorry, _Gran_," he caught on to what I was saying. "Look, Sookie, I ain't tryin' to be rude, but where are you?"

"At Eric's. Why?" I leaned against the counter and crossed my legs. I was only wearing one of Eric's t-shirts so it was a good thing his kitchen was at the back of his house where none of the neighbors would be able to see in through the windows.

"Is your spare key still hidden around back?" Jason asked me.

"Yeah, why?" Now I was really curious as to what the fuck was going on.

"Crystal and I got into a big fight and she started throwin' things around. She was holdin' Syd while she was screamin' and cussin' up a storm. The baby was screamin' so hard her face was bright red. Her eyes are still all swelled up and she keeps whimperin'. I packed a bag for her and I told Crystal I was spendin' the night somewhere else, but I don't want to go to Dad's or Gran's unless I hafta," Jason explained.

I sighed and rubbed my eyes. "Do I need to come home, Jase?"

"Naw, Syd and I are okay, I just need a place to crash for the night."

"Then you know where the key is. There's spare pillows and blankets in the linen closet at the end of the hall upstairs if you need 'em. Help yourself to anything in the fridge; just try not to leave me a huge mess to clean up?"

"Don't worry about it, Sook, I'm just gonna order a pizza or somethin'," he told me.

"You know where plates are," I reminded him but he snorted.

"I got two hands," my brother could be a real caveman sometimes. Correcting him was a waste of breath.

"Alright, well, the air conditioning is on but you won't really feel it upstairs unless you sleep in my bed and I'd prefer you didn't," I told him. Mostly because I needed to chance my sheets and yeah…it was just better if Jason didn't sleep in my bed.

"Nah, I was thinking to crash on the couch. You've still got that playpen thing around your house somewhere, don'tcha?" he asked.

"Yes!" I had completely forgotten about it. "It's in the closet in the spare bedroom. I can't believe you remembered that thing."

"Of course I remember. I'm the one who had to haul it upstairs, remember?" he asked bitterly.

"It's _your_ baby, Jason," I shrugged, not at all feeling sorry for him. "If you need anything else, just give me a call. I can come home if you need me."

"Sook, I'm a grown man. I can take care of myself and my daughter for a night," he told me and shock of shocks, I believed him.

Being a father had definitely changed Jason. He was still part man-child, but it wasn't as bad as it was just a year before. His childishness wasn't an entirely bad trait to have since it made him adorable to watch with Syd, but it was when he chose to express it that worried me. Sometimes he needed to be a grown up and instead he acted like he was still twelve-years-old. I hoped he'd get better at it as Syd got older.

"I know you can, Jase, I'm just sayin' I'm here if you need me," I told him.

"I appreciate it. Oh, and don't tell Dad or Gran, will ya? I don't want them worryin' about me and Syd."

"You can't keep this up, Jase. Maybe y'all should see a counselor or something?" I suggested.

"Yeah, maybe," he said but didn't sound convincing.

I got the feeling he was holding something back from me but I didn't push. My brother was like me in that he'd talk when he was damn well ready and not a minute before. In that spirit, I wished him luck and then said my goodbyes. I left my phone on the counter and then went back up to Eric's bedroom. He was still stretched out in the same spot with his eyes closed and face pointed straight up at the ceiling. I climbed over him to get back in bed.

"Everything okay?" his arm closed around me, hugging me to his chest.

"Hard to say. Jason and his wife got in some big fight and she lost control of herself. He grabbed up the baby and left for the night to give her some time to cool down so he wanted to commandeer my couch for the night," I explained.

"Uh oh, that doesn't sound good. Do they fight like that a lot?" Eric asked me.

"They've been having some trouble lately. I don't think either of them intended to be together this long, to be honest. The baby took them by surprise and Jason thought he was in love with Crystal so he asked her to marry him. Bon Temps is a step up from Hot Shot, where Crystal's from, and since Jason at least graduated high school and has a good job, she probably thought she was hitting the jackpot where husbands are concerned. But I'm not sure she really loves him the way he loves her, which is a shame because he deserves better than that. So does Syd, for that matter, and the fightin' isn't good for any of them. Jason, believe it or not, thinks she's got postpartum depression, which is probably a factor, but I always thought she was a little on the strange side. So I don't know what to make of all this," I sighed and snuggled against him.

"You think he would have married her if she hadn't gotten pregnant," Eric said but didn't sound judgmental about it.

"I don't know. I don't understand how my brother's brain works sometimes," I shrugged as best I could for the position I was in. "But I learned from watching them that there's something to be said for taking your time and really getting to know someone before you make such a big commitment."

"Are you worried he's going to end up like your dad?" he kissed my head.

"A little. Mostly I'm worried for Syd. I get the feeling if things don't work out between her and Jason, Crystal's going to take off like my mom did and I know what it's like growing up without a mother."

"Do you ever think about tracking her down?"

I took a deep breath and said, "Sometimes I do. Like, I want her to know that I'm okay without her but at the same time, I don't like that I'm okay without her. She's my mom, you know? That should mean something to her and it doesn't."

I knew how Eric felt since he had a similar relationship with his father. "I was thinking of asking Helena to come visit. I want you to meet her and I want her to meet you."

I smiled up at him and turned more in my stomach. "I would love to meet her. I know she's important to you."

He nodded and said, "She's the closest thing I ever had to a mother. I'm closer with her than Pam is."

"What's Pam's deal anyway?" I asked Eric as gently as I could. "She's so…weird; I guess is the nicest way to put it."

Eric shifted so he was sitting up more against the headboard and I moved so I was sitting on my hip, curled next to him. His brows furrowed while he tried to figure out how to explain his strange half sister to me. "Pam seems to think I got the better end of the deal where our father is concerned because even though we don't speak very often now, he's made several offers to let me join him in his business. I'm not interested in finances and corporate mergers and takeovers. Pam isn't either, but she just wants to feel like she belongs and isn't some illegitimate lovechild."

"That's understandable, but why would she feel like that? Your father was married to Helena, wasn't he?"

"He was," Eric nodded, "but the marriage didn't last very long and I think he spent maybe a total of two weeks with Helena right after Pam was born. Helena tolerated him because he sent a check every month that more than covered the expenses, but he was never really emotionally available to anyone. He wanted the best for us but didn't really want to be involved in the process of raising us.

"Since I wasn't legally Helena's responsibility, I was sent off to boarding school which meant I got a really good education while Pam had to stay back in Stockholm with Helena and go to a private school there. I don't know why Pam always thought I was getting the better end of the deal. Maybe she thought our father was stopping to visit me all the time but that wasn't at all the case. I spent my summers in Stockholm with Helena and Pam. Our father would come to visit for a few days over those twelve weeks but he was still working while he was there. He never tried to get Pam involved in the business, but he would take me fishing and try to drill business into my head.

"I never wanted it but Pam did, and I guess that probably makes her think I'm ungrateful for the time he spent with me, even if it wasn't really about me, but about him. He was trying to secure his legacy and train me to become him. I never wanted it. Considering his womanizing ways, my father had a very clear idea of what women should be. He thought they should be in the home, taking care of the house and raising the children. He expected Pam to fall into that role and someday marry a rich man that would take care of her and give her children.

"From an early age, it was pretty obvious Pam wasn't interested in being a mother or taking care of someone's house. She hated doing chores and she never played with dolls or created an imaginary world where she was a wife and mother. When she played pretend, she was always powerful in her own right, much like our father. She was the boss, the leader, someone everyone else looked to for direction and guidance but not in a motherly way. And as she got older, it became more and more clear she wasn't interested in men at all in a romantic way. She never went boy crazy or developed silly crushes on whatever teen boy was a big deal at the moment the way most girls did. She seemed to retreat further into herself and I suspect it was because she knew she was different from her peers.

"I never pushed for Pam to explain herself to me. There was enough animosity between us already on account of our very different relationships with our father. I had what she wanted and she had what I wanted but we were powerless to flip-flop. When Dad offered to make me a partner in his business after I graduated from high school, I refused and decided to go my own way. Pam was furious at me for turning it down, stating that I was denying _her_ an opportunity by declining the one I'd been given. As a partner with equal rights to the business, I could have brought her on board and she would have gotten what she wanted. Maybe it was selfish of me to turn it down, but I wasn't going to go to work for my father until Pam was old enough to take my place. I don't think she's ever forgiven me for that.

"We've gotten closer in the last few years, which is how we were able to start the business together in Sweden. I was getting sober and needed something else to focus my attention on, so I spent some time in Stockholm, under Helena's watchful eye, to make sure I didn't fall off the wagon. Opening a bar probably wasn't the smartest thing for me to do, but I'm really only a partner in name only. As it turns out, I'm not so bad at business after all, but it's still not what I want to do with the rest of my life. What that thing is, I have no idea. For now, I'm content to keep an eye on the business from afar, rebuild old cars and do whatever I want here."

That was a lot of information to take in, but I definitely had a better understanding of Eric's family dynamic by the time he was finished talking. Pam's personality also made a little more sense to me as well, and I felt a little bad for having judged her. She just wanted equality. My father had never loved Jason and me differently. He'd never set Jason up for more opportunities than he did me, and I had no reason to be jealous of my brother. Dad had always encouraged our individual strengths but I don't think that was because he was a sexist.

Jason was good at the outdoors stuff. He liked fishing, playing football and doing things boys do. Because of that, Dad took him fishing and coached pee wee football. I liked dancing and wanted to learn how to bake and sew. I was the little girl who definitely played with dolls and dreamed of someday being a mother. I suspect, however, my dreams of being a mother were really just as much about wanting to be one as it was working through the difficulty of not having one of my own to rely on. But Dad never made me feel like I was destined to be nothing more than barefoot and pregnant. He encouraged me to dream big and work hard for the things I wanted, and he did the same for Jason.

It occurred to me that Eric had a birthday coming up soon. I'd seen it on his driver's license when he had to give it over to a rental place in the Keys so we could take a boat out for a few hours. In just a few weeks, Eric was going to be thirty. It hit me like a bolt of lightning that he'd said earlier he was looking to settle down, get married and have kids. The words had completely bypassed analysis at the time because there was the threat of some mafia hitman lurking in the shadows, just waiting for a clean shot at me.

Now I was thinking about it. Did his words have an affect on my subconscious? Was that why it was _his_ face I saw when I pictured my future? Then again, would it really be so awful to be Eric's wife? I already knew he would bend over backwards to take care of me and I was pretty sure he'd be the biggest Papa Bear ever to any babies we had. I'd seen him with Tommy and I had been all squishy inside by how patient he was with the little boy. I could imagine that would only increase if it was his own child he was playing catch with.

_It's too soon, Sookie,_ I told myself and pushed away the warm 'n fuzzy thoughts of marriage and babies. If I wasn't ready to live with him, I certainly wasn't ready to marry him and have kids. I decided the important thing was, for the first time I was dating someone where the idea of marriage didn't scare the shit out of me. Being Eric's wife might actually be fun.

But that was a long way away.

"What are you thinking about?" Eric asked me quietly; almost as if he were afraid he would disturb me.

_Oh nothing, just what it would be like to be your wife and the mother of your child; nothing important. So what's for supper?_, yeah, I didn't think that'd go over well so I told a little white lie. "Your birthday," I said and climbed into his lap, in hopes of throwing him off if I didn't sound that convincing.

He groaned and said, "I hate birthdays."

"Oh, then you're really dating the wrong girl," I rubbed my hips against his which got his furrowed brows to relax. "I love birthdays."

"Is that a fact?" his hands landed on my hips, guiding them as they rocked. It probably helped that I wasn't wearing panties.

"Mmmm," I moaned, making sure my lips were against his neck so he'd feel the vibration. "What do you want for your birthday?"

"You. Naked. Possibly under me, but on top of me works, too," he said through gritted teeth as the rocking of my hips started to perk him up quite literally.

"That sounds manageable," I rubbed my breasts against his chest and he groaned again. "What else?"

"Sushi. I want to go back to Red Star. My birthday will also be our two month anniversary," he nipped at my ear, not realizing my surprised gasp had more to do with him remembering the date than it did the tug on my ear.

"You realize I can't be naked at Red Star, right?" I said, which got the wheels turning in my head for a way I could surprise him.

"Damn," he muttered and started feathering kisses all of my face. "We need to live in a more liberal country tolerant of nudity. You should be naked all the time."

I giggled when his scruffy chin brushed against my collarbone and it quickly became a moan when he found that spot on my neck that made my insides go squishy. Apparently we'd done enough talking and would settle the plans for his birthday celebration later because I ended up on my back with my legs wrapped around him, and him trying to wiggle out of his boxers. It was amazing how fast my body responded to him touching me, or even just to his voice.

His fingers found their way between us and checked to see if I was ready for him. He must have decided I wasn't quite there yet because the strokes of his fingers inside me countered those of his tongue in my mouth and right when I was on the edge he pulled his fingers out and guided his very hard erection inside me to take their place. My muscles clamped down on him, pulling him deeper inside me. He kissed me sweetly as he moved and my hips started to rise up to meet him.

His lips remained on mine and while he managed to brace most of his weight on one arm, the other hand had found its way under the shirt I was wearing to get reacquainted with my breasts. You know, since he hadn't touched them in a little over an hour. It was actually kind of cute how attached to them he was and how easily mesmerized he could become of I used them appropriately. Then again, I wasn't much better since a wiggle of that ass of his could send me into a bit of a frenzy myself.

Eric shifted so he was on his knees, and the lift of my hips brought him even deeper inside me. I cried out at the new sensation and them his hand under me, giving me the support I needed so I could keep meeting his thrusts. So close. I was so, so close. His t-shirt slid up my body thanks to that wacky gravity and I could see him watching the bottom side of my breasts bounce with each thrust of his hips. I knew he was getting close as well when his thrusts got harder and just to make sure we finished together; I brought my hand down between my legs and started to rub circles over my clit.

Eric growled, watching me touch myself and probably his cock sliding in and out of me. I kept my eyes on his; knowing eventually the haze would pass and he would be searching for my face. I closed my eyes just for a moment and let the sensations watch over me and of course, that was when Eric chose to look at my face.

"Open your eyes, lover," he said with a harder thrust than the others just to make sure he got my attention.

I cried out and my eyes popped open. "I'm so close, Eric," I grabbed at the blanket under me just as my head started to smack against the padded headboard.

The squeezing of my internal muscles started a chain reaction of spastic thrusting from Eric, the loss of control of my hips and then both of us were shouting and grabbing at each other as we came together. It was the most amazing feeling, and one I never got tired of. My body dropped against the mattress when Eric started to fall forward toward me. He never put his full weight on me, which was very considerate of him, but that time I pulled him closer.

"I'll crush you," he said between deep breaths.

"No you won't," I assured him, looking up into those beautiful eyes of his. "I can take whatever you want to give me."

The way he smiled at me made my heart hurt. "I love you, Sookie," he whispered and then started attacking me with kisses all over again.

* * *

><p><strong>So now we have a better understanding of why Pam is the way she is. Trouble is brewing for Jason and Crystal and this is really just the beginning of all that. The jury's still out on whether or not Helena will make an appearance. If she does, it won't be for a while. Any ideas on what Sookie's planning for Eric's birthday? I'm in the process of writing that chapter and my brain wants to go angsty on me so I've taken a step back from it until the urge to make it all dramatic passes. Thanks for reading!<strong>


	30. Kiss Goodbye

Chapter 30: Kiss Goodbye

I sat up in bed and rubbed my eyes. Eric and I had stayed up much later than I thought we would but there was nothing on TV that held our attention better than each others bodies. We'd taken a break to eat a late dinner, but by midnight I'd lost count of the number of orgasms I'd had. I was going to need to call a cease fire for a few days. Not that Eric was too rough on me or anything like that, but I just needed a break from it. Now if only I could get my body to agree with my mind, I'd be all set.

I placed a gentle kiss on Eric's cheek before slipping out of bed quietly. I went to the bathroom to take care of my normal morning business and then grabbed a fresh shirt of his from the dresser. Usually I'd just grab the one I'd been wearing the night before but that one had gotten a little dirty and was in desperate need of a wash. I swear I wasn't snooping, but I came across a picture that was tucked between his piles of t-shirts.

It was a photo of a beautiful blonde woman with her hands clasped under her belly that I suspected was full with child. _Eric's mother_, the realization hit me almost immediately. I studied her face closely, looking for similarities between her and Eric, aside from their hair. I'd never seen a picture of his father so I had no idea what he looked like. Hell, I didn't even know his name. I flipped the picture over and was glad to see a name. Anastasia. I turned the picture over again and decided her name suited her.

There was something friendly and warm in the way she smiled. The way she cradled her belly suggested she was very much in love with the child I assumed was inside it. I teared up at the idea she probably never got a chance to hear that baby take its first breath. I looked over at Eric, fully grown and sound asleep. I could see he had his mother's eyes and the same awkward tilt to the right side of his mouth when he smiled. I wondered if that was innate to him, or if it was something he had practiced as a tribute to her that few people would know about.

What about his mother's family? Did he have grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins? Had he ever met any of them, or had his father simply whisked him away after he was born? I felt a sad for the fact that I'd never know her, and even worse that Eric wouldn't either. She seemed lovely. I put the photograph back where I found it and quietly closed the drawer. I slipped on the t-shirt and tip toed out of the bedroom to go start the coffee.

My cell phone was still sitting on the counter where I'd left it the night before after talking to Jason. A message was waiting for me and my heart about leapt out of my chest when I realized it was from the Bon Temps Public School. They'd said I would hear from them by Friday. Not even a full twenty-four hours had passed since my interview. Either I tanked, or they loved me. I clutched my phone and decided I would handle the news better either way after getting some coffee in my system.

I started rifling through the fridge, debating what to make for breakfast, while I waited for the coffee to brew. Nerves got the better of me and decided that just about everything in the fridge was going to make me want to narf, so I gave up and went out to the front to see if the paper was waiting for me. I bent down carefully to pick it up from the front porch, so as not to flash my lady business at the whole town, and then went back inside. I set the paper down on the table and leaned over to read while I waited.

If Eric happened to walk into the kitchen at that moment, he was going to get one heck of a view; I knew that much. Still I stayed just as I was and flipped through the pages to see what was new in the area. I stopped when I came to a story about Joe Mickens. Sam had told me about the insurance fraud charge that had been tacked onto the murder charge, but it seemed the forensic accountants had been able to link Joe to the mob, via a loan shark he owed some serious money to.

My jaw about hit the floor and my first instinct was to call Sam and find out what I was missing that wouldn't be printed in the papers. I figured Sam had to have heard about this straight from Portia, but maybe he hadn't. What stopped me from calling was knowing I hadn't talked to him since Saturday night when he sent me home early from work. I was going to have to go in later for my regular shift and it was going to be awkward, even if Sam and I were able to work things out.

I stood there with my mouth hanging open while I read the article. It certainly explained a lot where Joe's motives were concerned. I got so engrossed in the article I didn't notice the coffee had finished brewing until after I was done reading. I grabbed a mug from the cabinet without looking away from the paper but decided trying to pour without looking was a bad idea. I straightened up a little and poured my coffee before going to the fridge to get the half and half out.

I heard Eric moving around overhead as I was putting the creamer back and I smiled. I considered resuming my pose; half bent over the counter, but decided against it. Instead, I pushed myself up to sit on the island and set my coffee to right side while I folded the paper to keep reading. When I heard Eric's feet shuffling down the hall toward the kitchen, I peeked over the top of the paper and waited for him to appear in the doorway. He stopped to stretch, showing off those perfect abs of his, before scratching the back of his head and walking toward me.

"Morning, lover," he leaned in and kissed me, all minty fresh after slaying his morning breath monster.

"Morning," I smiled back at him. "I got a call from the school."

His sleepy eyes perked up a little. "And?"

"And I didn't check the message yet. I figured I should have a cup of coffee first, so I grabbed the paper while I was waiting for it to brew," I said and handed him the paper so I could point out the article I'd just finished reading.

He handed it back saying, "My eyes aren't focused yet."

I arched my eyebrow at him. I was convinced he needed glasses and was just in denial about it. Being that he was just days away from his thirtieth birthday, I couldn't fault him for it. He narrowed his still mostly sleepy eyes at me and I cleared my throat before I started reading the article out loud to him. By the time I was finished, Eric had ingredients for breakfast spread out on the counter and my mouth began to water when I saw the makings of biscuits and gravy waiting to be put together.

Eric turned around suddenly to face me with a concerned look on his face. "Did they mention the name of the loan shark?"

I scanned the article quickly in case I missed it but I didn't see it anywhere. "No, it's not here. Why?"

He gave me a look like I should know better and said, "Because I might know the person."

Oh…yeah, he might have connections in that area.

"Do you think that's why Victor was here yesterday out of the blue?"

"It's possible," Eric shrugged casually and put a skillet on the stove to heat up. "If he's being investigated, it's possible he's the loan shark. That's one of the many services my former bosses provide."

"I can't believe this," I shook my head and slid off the counter, leaving the newspaper behind me. "I don't know what Joe was thinking getting involved with those people!"

Eric looked over at me with this expression I couldn't quite interpret but I knew it wasn't a happy face. I was going to apologize but he said, "Sookie, don't say you're sorry. I used to wonder all the time what would make a person think they had absolutely no other viable options but to get involved with the people I worked for. The whole system is designed to keep the borrowers dependent on the lenders. Usually it starts on a small scale and the borrower figures they're just building a relationship; some trust with the lender. They think they're getting 'in' with the person they're borrowing from, but the guys I worked for? They don't give a fuck about anyone but themselves.

"The guys at the bottom are expected to take the fall for the guys at the top, and when you turn on them, or try to leave, they assume you're going to run straight to the cops with everything you know; whether it's to save yourself from jail time or to earn some kind of reward for your information. Even if you incriminate yourself in the process, immunity is offered because you're doing it for the greater good. The little guys are the work horses, but they don't have any power.

"Because I ran a crew, I was somewhere in the middle. Guys answered to me, but I took orders from Victor, who takes them from Felipe. And there's someone pulling Felipe's strings as well. There's a chain of command in the whole outfit that takes years to master and the guys are only told what they need to know. No one wants to see anything, or hear anything, unless they have to. That includes Victor." Eric told me.

The whole thing was kind of fascinating—in a disturbing way. While it was great to have someone be able to explain the way it worked, it sucked knowing Eric had been on the wrong side of things. But I kept my mouth shut about it since there wasn't really anything else I could say. I listened while he talked about the way the loaning system worked, and the various degrees of coercion used to get borrowers to pay up. Some of it got pretty crazy, and the interest charges for being late with a payment were even crazier.

"It's entirely possible that if Joe borrowed money and couldn't make his payments on time, that he might have been several hundred thousand dollars in debt," Eric told me as he crumbled the breakfast sausage for the gravy. "When you start getting into big numbers like that, things get hot pretty fast."

It made sense, of course; I just couldn't fathom killing someone to pay off your debts. Not only did Joe kill his wife, but he was attempting to steal from her children. I never wanted to go home and pack more than I did just then. I didn't want to pay another month's rent to him if I didn't have to. I growled in frustration and then stepped away from Eric so I could check my voicemail and see what decision had been made.

"Hello, Sookie, this is Dr. Brigant calling from the Renard Parish Board of Education. I know I said we would be in touch by Friday, but Ms. Fant and I were delighted to meet with you yesterday. Based on what we've already discussed and your qualifications, we would be honored to offer you a full-time position with us this fall. Please call me to discuss salary and benefit information. We would like to get the ball rolling on all the necessary paperwork as soon as possible. Congratulations, and we look forward to hearing from you," Dr. Brigant concluded cheerfully and I just about dropped my phone, I was so excited.

"You got it?" Eric asked when he saw me jumping around his kitchen like I was in a moon bounce. I nodded excitedly and he swept me up in a huge bear hug that would have made my Grandad proud. "Aww, baby, that's wonderful! I'm so proud of you!"

"Thank you!" I squeezed him around his neck and my legs circled his waist. "Ugh! This is such a relief! I'll have a stable income, health insurance, paid sick time…"

"I'm very happy for you, Sookie," he turned his head and pecked my cheek.

"Whoa, whoa, you can do better than that," I smirked at him and he laid a real kiss on me.

**o.O.o.O.o**

I didn't tell anyone else that I'd been offered the job because I wanted Sam to hear it from me first, and not from some random customer who was gossiping at the restaurant. I called Dr. Brigant back after breakfast to discuss my startin salary, which was about what I expected it would be. Renard Parish certainly wasn't going to be as lucrative as Shreveport, Monroe or Baton Rouge would be, but teachers don't get into teaching for the money. Well, the good ones don't. At least that's _my_ opinion.

I told Dr. Brigant I could get in to the school the next day to fill out all the paperwork they needed and he informed me I was going to have to take a drug test. They would also be taking my fingerprints to run a background check to make sure I wasn't a sex offender or violent criminal. I'd never done drugs, and I hadn't gotten so much as a speeding ticket so I wasn't worried about either test coming back with problematic results. Still, I'd submit both because it was required and I had nothing to hide.

After breakfast I showered and got ready for work, much to Eric's dismay. I reminded him I would only be working at the restaurant for a limited time, and then my schedule would change to a normal one. Since he usually slept late into the morning, or the early afternoon, he wouldn't be missing much time with me. I would, however, have to start getting used to going to bed before midnight if I didn't want to be dragging my ass into work every day. I hadn't gone to bed before midnight since high school. It was going to take some time to get myself adjusted.

Sam was over in his old house next to the restaurant when I pulled into the parking lot. I had plenty of time to spare, knowing I had to talk to Sam and clear the air a little before my shift starting. Of course, that was assuming he hadn't decided to fire me and was just waiting to do it face to face. I really didn't know what I was going to say to Sam. I felt like he was owed an apology and at the same time, I wanted to rip into him for being so hurtful to me. He had been out of line. It wasn't as though Eric hadn't had a reason for clocking him, even if it was a little more excessive than it should have been.

This was an excellent case of two wrongs not making a right and hopefully, this would be the last time I had to have a conversation like this with Sam. There was so much he was missing out on in my life and I missed being so involved in his. I walked over to his old place and knocked on the door frame. Sam was crouched down looking through some papers in a file cabinet when he looked up to see me standing there.

His face was still bruised pretty dark and his nose was definitely swollen under its little brace to keep it set until it was healed enough to remove it. I grimaced and winced at the sight of him. Eric had definitely done a number on his face and I felt awful about it. Regardless of what he'd said to me, I didn't want to see him in pain, and that definitely had to hurt. Not just physically, but his pride had to be smarting a little, too. Then again, if he had taken a retaliation swing at Eric, it would have been even worse for him. Eric was nothing if not an excellent fighter.

"I didn't think you'd come back," Sam said with a hint of relief.

"We have a lot of things to talk about, Sam," I stayed right where I was since I hadn't been invited in.

"Yeah, I suppose we do. Are you coming in?" he asked as he stood up.

I opened the screen door and walked into the small house. The place was just about empty except for the old pull out bed that was still rumple and left unfolded at the far end of the room. The house didn't feel like Sam's anymore but that was probably just because all of his things were missing from it.

"I don't really know where to start. I could apologize to you on Eric's behalf, but it's not really my place to do it. I'm also not convinced he's really all that sorry for what he did. You were out of line talking to me like that. You hurt my feelings and I never thought that you, of all people, would talk to me the way you did the other night. I know you're upset about a lot of things and I'm sorry that I can't feel the way about you that you feel about me, but there's nothing I can do about that. You're my friend, Sam, and I want to keep it that way but that's not going to happen if you're going to call me a whore every time you see me kiss my boyfriend."

"You're right," Sam looked ashamed of himself, which I was reluctantly happy about. "I know I was wrong to say the things I said to you and I'm sorry for that. I was just…it's not easy seeing you with him. I was hoping you'd end up with someone like me because then maybe if it didn't work out, I'd have a chance, you know? But Eric…he's nothing like me and it was just a reminder that I'm not the guy for you, as much as I want to be." Sam told me and ran his hand through his hair.

"Sam, you'd be surprised at how alike you and Eric really are. You both love me, for starters," I shrugged and offered a soft smile.

"Yeah, but he's the one who gets your love in return. That puts us on two very different playing fields," Sam sighed and sat down at the small kitchen table.

"I love you, Sam; just not the way you want me to," I said for what felt like the millionth time. "I promise to try and be more mindful of your feelings in the future but I need you to not take it out on me when you get frustrated."

He nodded and said, "I'll try. I know the things I said weren't true and I'm sorry I said them. It's actually kind of a good thing Eric punched me. I mean, I'm not happy about this," he gestured to his broken nose. "But it's good to see he cares about you."

I groaned and rolled my eyes. "Why does a guy have to be violent in order for it to be obvious he cares about a woman? I don't need him running around punching every single person who gives me a funny look or says nasty things about me. I'm a big girl; I can't handle myself."

Sam laughed and asked, "Has he been given that speech yet? I bet y'all have had a few arguments over how stubborn you are."

"You hush!" I tried not to smile and give myself away.

"You know, Sook, it ain't him being controlling if you're trying to put your two lives together and turn them into one," Sam said a little sadly. "I mean, it's natural to want to take care of each other. It doesn't mean he doesn't think you can't do it on your own. Besides, there's stubborn and then there's foolish. Don't get the two confused."

"I know, I know. I had this talk with Dad," I sighed and sat back in my chair. "I really do want you and Eric to be friends, Sam. I don't expect it to happen overnight but you're both important to me."

Sam nodded and leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees. "We'll get there someday, Sook."

"You better," I warned him. Really, this was going to fall on Sam's shoulders to fix. Eric didn't have any reason to have ill will against him until he went shooting his mouth off like he did. If the damage was irreparable, it would be because of Sam's big mouth. "There's something else I need to tell you."

Sam's head snapped up and he looked at me closely. "You ain't pregnant, are ya?"

"What? No!" I shook my head quickly. "I'm not pregnant, Sam." He didn't need to know there was even a chance that could be true, although I was pretty sure Sam had figured out Eric and I were sleeping together. Still, I didn't need to go painting a picture for him. There were some things he just didn't need to know about me, and my sex life was on that list of things.

"So what's going on?" Sam asked.

"I interviewed at the school yesterday, which is why I called in sick. Things went pretty well and this morning I had a message from the superintendent waiting for me. Starting this fall, I am the new third grade teacher at Bon Temps Public School," I grinned at him.

It took a few seconds for the words to sink into his brain, but when they did, Sam jumped up with excitement. "Sook, that's great! I'm so proud of you!"

I got yanked into a hug that pulled me up out of my seat. I forgot how strong Sam could be when he wanted to and I worried I was going to have broken ribs if he didn't let up on me. "Alright, Sam, you're hurtin' me now," I laughed and slapped at his shoulders.

"Sorry," he let me go right away. "I'm just…Sook, this is…I'm happy for you," he said sincerely.

I breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Good, because I'm going to have to give you my resignation."

Sam's smile faded. Clearly he'd forgotten that part of me getting a regular full-time job. He stepped back and ran his hand through his hair again. "I thought you were just going to scale back?"

I faltered for a moment and said, "I thought I would, too, but things are different now."

"Eric," he said bitterly with a shake of his head. "You're quitting so you can spend more time with your boyfriend."

"That's not the whole reason," I argued but Sam clearly didn't want to hear it.

"So how much notice do I get? Is today your last day?" he snapped.

"It will be if you don't watch your tone, mister," I glared at him and propped my hands on my hips. "Jesus, Sam, what's your problem? One minute you're happy for me and the next you're pulling the jealous boyfriend routine!"

Sam had the gall to look like I'd just said something out of line. "You know, if you don't want to be here, Sook, we'll do just fine without you."

"What are you talking about?" He'd completely lost me. It felt like we were having two entirely different conversations.

"Never mind," he shook his head. "I'll let Lafayette know we need to hire a replacement."

"Sam, will you talk to me like I didn't just kill your dog?" I pleaded with him.

That was probably a poor choice of words on account of Teeny, but it got his attention. "I just think it's interesting how you told me you weren't going to choose your boyfriend over your friends, but every time you have that decision to make, he wins."

Did I really do that? Yes, I knew I'd been a little preoccupied with Eric lately, but I didn't think it was to the exclusion of everyone else. I had been dodging Sam on purpose for the last few days, but he was a special case. His feelings for me were a big pink elephant in the room. His feelings for me made things awkward and as much as I wanted Sam and Eric to be friends, until Sam moved on, the two of them being friends wasn't going to happen easily. But just like I knew I couldn't control _my_ feelings, I knew Sam couldn't control his either.

"You're not being reasonable, Sam. I don't have to _work here_ in order for us to spend time together," I argued.

"It's the only time I ever see you anymore," he shrugged his response.

"And that's _my_ fault? When's the last time you called me and asked me to hang out? When's the last time you stopped over at my house just because you were in the neighborhood? Face it, Sam; we both have different priorities now! It's a part of growing up and becoming adults. You have work, Tommy and dealing with getting your mother's affairs in order. I've got a new job, moving, a boyfriend and some family issues that need sorting out. We're both busy people, Sam. And maybe it's shitty that our friendship is the first thing we downgrade as a priority, but there are only so many hours in a day."

"And you've decided I'm not important enough to fill those hours," Sam accused.

"Now you're just putting words in my mouth," I shook my head and moved toward the door. "I have to go in tomorrow and start filling out paperwork for the school. I'm not sure when I'll need to start working there so I'll let you know when I do."

Sam just nodded but said nothing else. I shook my head in disbelief and left him standing there in the little old house to lick his wounds and feel sorry for himself. I was done letting him bring me down. And I wasn't going to be his punching bag anymore either. I loved him dearly but he wanted me to hold onto a part of my life that was over. It was time to move on and that meant things had to change. It was up to Sam whether or not he was going to continue to be a part of my life.

I pulled my cell phone from my pocket and sent Eric a quick text message.

_I gave Sam the news. He didn't take it well. Come visit me later?_

I only had to wait a few seconds before getting a response. Eric would be waiting for me when I got out of work.

* * *

><p><strong>I wanted to smack Sam by the end of this. I was starting to wonder if he was on the rag or something. Lord knows I wouldn't have been as patient with him, that's for damn sure. And thank you for all the suggestions on how Eric and Sookie should spend his birthday. I've already got it planned out, and just so you know, a great many of you were correct on your guess. That's all the spoiler you get. Thanks for reading!<strong>


	31. You Can Do It

Chapter 31: You Can Do It

Approval came through on the apartment but it wouldn't be ready for me to move in until the end of August. After discussing it with Eric, I agreed to move in with him on a temporary basis until the apartment was ready. I told him if, at any time, us living together got to be too much for him I wouldn't be hurt if he asked me to leave. I knew giving up personal space was a pretty big sacrifice and as much as he loved having me around, I figured it would be quite an adjustment for him.

Gran was aware of my situation and told me I was welcome to any of her guest rooms if things with Eric weren't working on a cohabitational basis. Truthfully, I didn't want to get too enthused about living together. I wanted us to be comfortable with it, but I didn't want it to become a question of whether or not I could leave when my apartment was ready. For that reason alone, I made sure I boxed just about everything except for my clothes, bathroom stuff and whatever little things I might need from day to day. I didn't want to get myself too set up like I was at home.

Eric understood where I was coming from, even though I knew there was a part of him that wanted to argue with me. I suppose, in some ways, I saw his point. Maybe I was just delaying the inevitable by moving into my own place but I saw no reason to jump the gun. Being the sweetheart he was Eric championed collecting boxes for me so I could pack during the day before work. Packing forced me to reconsider what things I really needed and what I could donate or throw away.

The new apartment wasn't going to be as big as my little house, even with the spare bedroom. The spare bedroom was going to become my little office/library area where I could put my desk, bookshelves and computer. I would have plenty of storage space thanks to the closet in there but I wasn't going to pack rat things away like my Gran did. Her attic had enough antiques to make the Smithsonian jealous. I tried talking her into go to Antique's Roadshow, but she was always telling me sentimental value was something that couldn't be given a price tag.

My Gran, the sap.

Since Eric had been kind enough to not only bring me boxes and other packing supplies, but breakfast as well, I thought it was only fair to let him pick the music while we got to work sorting through my things. Classic rock was playing from his iPod that was docked in my kitchen. I got a text message from Jason, checking to make sure I was going to be at Gran's for supper the following Sunday so he'd have back up if Gran started asking about Crystal.

My phone alerted me my mailbox was getting too full and the sight of Eric's last text made me laugh. Every day he sent me some sort of goofy fact that either made me roll my eyes, laugh or surprised at the information. His most recent text had informed me it was impossible for a person to tickle themselves. I figured that wasn't necessary because anytime I wanted a good tickle—not that I ever felt that need- I had a perfectly good boyfriend just itching to get his hands on me.

"Where do you find these facts you send me?" I asked Eric while he sorted through my junk drawer. "Is this stuff you know, do you make it up or do you research it?"

Eric smirked and said, "Some of it I know but some of it I look up."

"You're such a goof," I rolled my eyes and pushed the button to clear out my inbox.

"Thank you," he leaned over and kissed my head. "If the texts bother you, I'll stop sending them."

"Don't you dare!" I wrapped my arms around his waist. "I wasn't complaining. I think it's really cute that you do research to surprise me with little facts."

"Cute?" he narrowed his eyes at me. He hated when I referred to anything about him as cute.

"Yes, cute. You know, precious, sweet, adorable…" I giggled and then yelped when my teasing got me a playful smack on my ass. "Delightful, charming, pleasing…oh! Darling! It's definitely darling."

I barely got the chance to laugh before I was being hauled toward the couch. "You want darling? I'll show you darling," he said and proceeded to tickle me until I threatened bladder control issues. "You, lover, are a _darling_ shade of red," he leaned over and kissed my cheek and neck.

"You don't play fair," I pouted slightly. "No way could I ever pick you up and haul you over to the couch and have my way with you."

"That _is_ a pity," he agreed with a wink and said, "Good thing if you want to have your way with me, you only need to ask."

I snorted and said, "I don't even need to do that. Although I've considered walking into a room and pulling off my shirt to get your attention once or twice."

"Are you saying I neglect you, Sookie?" he pounced on me.

We were never going to finish packing at this rate. It seemed like we got distracted every dozen boxes or so, and while orgasms were more fun than packing, they weren't very productive. It seemed I was going to have to suffer through another before Eric would let me get back to packing. It was best if I didn't fight it, or so I told myself.

A quick round on the couch later, I told Eric we had to get back to work. He pouted briefly, clearly not sated by the rush job we'd just done, but there was so much to do. "If you can't keep your hands to yourself, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"I can keep my hands to myself," Eric said with confidence but I snickered. I knew him too well. "What? I can control myself."

"Uh huh," I said as I climbed off the couch.

"You don't think I can control myself?" Eric followed me to the kitchen.

"I think you have very specific urges that have a way of getting the better of you," I smiled over my shoulder at him.

"That sounds like a challenge to me, lover," he stood right behind me, his hands settling a little possessively on my hips.

"Excuse me?" I stared straight ahead, having a feeling where he was going.

"I think I could hold out longer than you could," he let go of my hips.

"Oh yeah?" I turned around. "Care to make it interesting?"

"The last time you bet me, you lost," Eric reminded me.

"Yes, but did I lose on purpose?" I countered, getting me a scowl from him.

"This time you can't cheat," he pointed out. "So, what do you say?"

"What are the terms of this bet?" I leaned against the counter, very interested to hear what he had in mind.

"No sexual contact. The first one to break that rule, loses the bet," he said simply.

"Well what do you consider to be sexual contact? I mean, obviously if I walk up to you," I said and crossed the room to where he was standing and put my hand on his crotch. "And grab your cock; that counts as a loss."

He groaned and shifted uncomfortably. "I mean anything we know will get the other started."

"So we're limited to high fives and CPR?" I joked.

"You, flat on your back my tongue that close to your mouth? You better not lose consciousness," he teased and I slapped at him playfully. "No shoulder rubbing, lap dancing or anything of that sort."

"I can do that," I said although I wasn't so sure I could. I mean, he was hot and I was used to jumping on him whenever I wanted. Me and my big mouth should have kept quiet. "So what do I win when I hold out longer than you?"

He smirked at my confidence and asked, "What do you want?"

"You go first," I needed a minute to think about it.

"When _I_ win, I get to eat sushi off your naked body," he said with a grin that made my heart race and my lady business want to throw in the towel already.

"Okay," I nodded my agreement. "And when _I_ win, I get to tie you up and blindfold you."

Swear to God, I thought Eric was going to faint for a second there. His eyes glazed over and it was obvious he had no problem picturing that scenario. I waved a hand in front of his face and he snapped out of his little trance. "I think we have a bet, Miss Stackhouse."

"How should we seal the deal?" I looked up at him through my lashes and made sure to have my best pout on.

He groaned and stepped back from me. "Given the nature of the bet, I think a fist bump is in order."

I laughed and held up my fist. He knocked his against mine. We had a deal.

**o.O.o.O.o**

I was a glutton for punishment. I had to be, otherwise I never would have agreed to the bet. From the moment we bumped fists, being in close proximity to each other was pure torture. Since we knew each other well enough to know what turned the other one on, we found ways that had nothing to do with touching to try and get the other to wave the white flag of surrender.

Quite frankly, neither of us was really going to lose if we lost the bet. I mean, Eric eating sushi off my naked body? I had to fan myself more than once at the thought of it. I tried not to think about it, actually, and that just made it worse. Being his human serving platter got me way hotter than it should have. But I figured I could use that to my advantage, and I started by peeling off the t-shirt I was wearing so I was walking around my house in my bikini top and cut off shorts.

Eric glared at me for stripping in front of him when he couldn't touch me but quickly decided two could play that game, and pulled off his own shirt. Bastard. I refused to look directly into his abs because that was just a one way ticket to Loserville. But then again, Loserville meant being able to pounce on Eric again whenever I wanted.

I shook myself and went back to work. Not even an hour had passed since the last time we had sex. God, what was he doing to me? Before Eric, it had been more than a year since I last had sex. Now just an hour seemed like an eternity. There was something wrong with me. Was I an addict? It would explain a lot. I was being dramatic and I knew it. I could do this!

And I saw a perfect opportunity to swing the momentum back in my favor when Eric took a bathroom break, leaving me alone in the kitchen with the iPod dock. I quickly swapped Eric's iPod for mine and put on my favorite mix of dance songs. By the time he came out of the bathroom, I was way far into a Missy Elliott song that had me popping my hips and shimmying around the kitchen.

He stopped in the doorway and stared—just like I knew he would- while I wiggled and swerved around the room. "What?" I asked when his eyes narrowed in that dangerous way that told me I was walking on thin ice with him.

He said nothing, but rather started to bend over and pick up boxes. Plan totally backfired when that gorgeous ass of his was up in the air, begging for me to squeeze it. I bit my bottom lip and turned around to get back to work. I shook the image of his ass out of my mind and went back to dancing while I packed. I was reminded just how little support bikini tops offered when I bounced and decided there had to be a way to use that to my advantage as well.

I had the brilliant plan to start packing what was on top of the fridge and rather than getting the step ladder, I was bouncing and reaching to try and get things down. Neither of us was playing very fair and Eric hooked a finger in my belt loop to pull me away from the fridge.

He leaned in close to my ear and said, "Allow me, lover."

Damn breath on my neck. I refused to let myself shiver the way I wanted to. If he saw goose bumps on my arms, he'd use it against me without hesitation. He once told me he wanted me to bring my A game when competing. He was about to get a taste of it both barrels, so to speak. It was amazing how easily a bikini top could come untied if a girl wasn't careful.

But then that was too obvious, so instead I let one of the little triangles keeping my breasts hidden from view get caught on something, jerking the material to the side. "Oops!" I said innocently and looked down at my chest. "Eric, would you mind fixing that?"

He glared at me and quickly turned around to leave the room. Honestly, he was sort of out of options unless he was going to drop his pants right then and there to get me back. His hands twitched like he they were prepared to override the commands from his brain to stay right where they were. But then he turned to face me, closed his eyes, took a deep breath and grabbed a pair of tongs from the utility drawer to move the material back where it belonged.

"Thanks," I winked at him, refusing to let him see how rattled I was.

"Anytime," he said through gritted teeth and watched me wiggle my way out of the room.

**o.O.o.O.o**

The torture continued throughout the night. Eric found a new layer of evil when he started texting me dirty things. It wasn't against the rules since we hadn't said texting wasn't allowed. I was sitting on the couch, taking a break and drinking a glass of iced tea when my phone chirped on the table. Eric was stowing my boxes away in the shed out back and I hadn't seen him grab his phone before going out there.

_I keep staring at this shelf out here in the shed. It's the perfect height for you to sit on while I fuck you senseless._

Oh sweet baby Jesus. My thighs squeezed together of their own volition. My breathing increased and I decided to counter with a picture message. I stretched out a little on the couch, unbuttoned my shorts and put my hand in them so he'd think I was touching myself. My back arched slightly and it wasn't easy to get the picture, but I managed. I grinned when I saw it and sent it to Eric, feeling very smug.

Of course, that smugness faded when he sent another dirty text message back.

_Are you wet for me, lover? You know my cock feels so much better than those fingers. You can have it if you want it. All you have to do is say the word._

He was too fucking good at this. I bit my lip so hard I was sure it had to be bleeding. I wasn't surrendering, but if I kept it up, I was going to. I put my phone in one of the kitchen cabinets on silent and decided I was going to ignore it. In fact, I was going to ignore him entirely. The silent treatment always worked, right? Maybe that was the better tactic to try. It was worth a shot.

I got another box and started packing my books after I changed the music again so I was listening to less suggestive pop music. Lady Gaga always lifted my mood, so I went with that. I was humming along to 'Bad Romance' when Eric came back inside. I could feel his eyes on me even though I had my back to him while I dusted the shelf I'd just emptied. Maybe the trick to getting anything done was to not have him around.

"Why didn't you answer my texts?" Eric asked from behind me. I turned, smiled and shrugged. "That's not an answer."

I shrugged again and went back to packing. Eric was no dummy and quickly caught on to what I was doing. He didn't acknowledge it verbally, of course, since that would have ended my fun. Instead he began to ignore me just as much. When I finished packing the box of books, I labeled it and taped it shut. Eric took it out to the shed for me and when he came back, I was standing right in front of the air conditioner, letting the cold air blow on me. A tiny bikini and cold air made for extremely hard nipples that were definitely trying to burst out of their little confines.

I turned to see Eric staring at me and there was a definitely bulge in his jeans. Victory was so close I could almost taste it. But then Eric pulled out a secret weapon I had completely forgotten was stacked in his deck. He sat at the old piano in the dining room I never paid much mind to since I couldn't play, and it had been in the house when I moved in. I used it to put some of my pictures on and not much else.

His choice of songs made me tear up and knowing he wasn't a big fan of country music made it that even more meaningful for me. He sang with emotion as he played the piano perfectly. I got up off the couch and went to the dining room to sit beside him on the piano bench. The bet didn't matter anymore. The words he sang told me he understood me and that he probably always had.

_Just a kiss on your lips in the moonlight  
>Just a touch of the fire burning so bright<br>And I don't want to mess this thing up  
>I don't want to push too far<br>Just a shot in the dark that you just might  
>Be the one I've been waiting for my whole life<br>So baby I'm alright, with just a kiss goodnight_

By the time the song was over I was crying like a total sap and I was more than ready to throw in the towel. I managed to snake my way between him and the piano and by sliding onto his lap, I knew I'd lost. But what had I gained instead? There was no measure for it. My hands settled on his face and my eyes locked with his. He reached up and wiped away my tears.

"You win," I said with a cracked voice and leaned in to kiss him.

I couldn't help but feel like even though I'd lost, I'd also won. He kissed me back and nothing else mattered.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry for the delay! Got kinda hung up with some RL crap this week. The song Eric sang here at the end is "Just A Kiss" by Lady Antebellum. I freakin' love that song so hard. Thanks for reading!<strong>


	32. Sunday Morning

**Okay, so I had two versions of this chapter and neither of them are finished. As I was reading them I realized I could combine the best of both worlds, so this is what we've got. This chapter brought to you, in part, by the suit ASkars wore to the True Blood premiere. *still panting***

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 32: Sunday Morning<span>

Eric showed up at the restaurant on my last night. Lafayette had insisted I invite him and promised he'd make sure Sam behaved himself. Sam was clearly unhappy to see Eric arrive but he just busied himself with other conversation or menial tasks around the restaurant. When we closed for the night, I plopped down in Eric's lap and wanted to pass out. I was exhausted, having been up since much earlier that morning.

"Tired?" Eric pressed a gentle kiss to my shoulder and kneaded my hip.

I nodded against him, breathing him in. I relaxed a little at having him close. I was afraid to get too relaxed, however, and forced myself to sit up in his lap instead of leaning on him like I wanted to. "Hungry? We haven't exactly closed up the kitchen yet since we're having this little party."

"I'm always hungry," Eric smirked at me and then let me lead him over to Lafayette, who was almost immediately all aflutter by Eric's presence.

I introduced the two of them but then stood back to watch them interact with each other. Lafayette was definitely giving Eric the Eyes but Eric didn't shy away from it the way some men would have. He recognized a harmless flirt when he saw it and he was secure enough with himself, and our relationship, not to need me as a shield. I kept waiting for Lafayette to make some sort of inappropriate comment the way he had with Bill, but all he did was look Eric up and down and then moan an _mmhmm_ before turning toward the kitchen.

"What does that mean?" Eric leaned down to ask me and I shrugged.

Lafayette waited until we were in the kitchen to say, "A man yo' size muss be insatiable."

Eric grinned, I blushed and Lafayette winked as he opened the cooler to get whatever it was he was fixing to make. I stood by Eric's side with sleepy eyes and watched as Lafayette started to do his prep work to make what looked like his extra spicy jambalaya, which I knew would be right up Eric's alley with his love of spicy foods. The three of us ended up engrossed in conversation about traditional Creole cooking when Sam came into the kitchen for something. He stopped short and started to back up.

"Whoa, Sam, where are you going? You should join us," I waved him over. By then I was sitting on the counter with my head resting on Eric's shoulder, seriously fighting sleepiness.

"No, that's okay, I just came in to let y'all know I have to get home to relieve Jessica. I'll see ya later," Sam said lamely and started to go.

"Sam, hang on a second," Eric slid off the counter. "Mind if we talk out back?"

Sam looked nervous and glanced at me. I nodded, thinking Eric was just going to apologize for what happened a few weeks before. Enough time had passed and I hoped Sam would be big enough to let Eric say what he wanted to say. I wanted to think my reassurance that what happened wasn't a regular thing and Eric wasn't the kind of guy who just went around punching people all the time.

"Uh, sure," Sam said reluctantly and then headed for the employee door with Eric right behind him.

"That boy needs to go on a date," Lafayette said, bringing my attention back to him instead of staring at the spot where Sam and Eric had been standing.

I didn't say anything but I nodded my agreement. Leaving the restaurant couldn't have come at a better time and while I worried about what was being said out back, I also knew in some ways it wasn't any of my business. Lafayette tried to distract me with stories of drunken mishaps around the bar I had missed out on since I hadn't been around quite so much but my mind was obviously elsewhere until Eric returned a few minutes later.

He slid up onto the counter next to me and offered a reassuring smile when my eyes asked what happened. I relaxed a little but I still wanted to know what happened. His hand found the small of my back and rubbed gently in attempts to calm me down a little. Usually it would have been the exact right thing to do but what I wanted were words and I wasn't going to get them until we were alone.

Two hours later I was asleep in the car on the ride back to Shreveport. I think I was asleep before we even left the Merlotte's parking lot and even though I was aware of Eric holding my hand, everything else was just total darkness. My eyes fluttered open when I heard his garage door going up. I groaned and tried to stretch in the front seat of Eric's car.

"Sorry I passed out," I apologized to him as he pulled the car into the garage.

"Don't be silly. It's almost four," he reminded me and I groaned again. "I promise all you have to do is stand up and I'll take you the rest of the way upstairs."

"I love you," I whispered gratefully and turned my face toward his with a sleepy smile plastered on my lips.

He leaned over and kissed me before putting the car in park and getting out on his side. I waited until I heard the passenger's side door open before willing my body to move. I didn't even bother to reach for my purse on the floorboard. I knew it was perfectly safe right where it was anyway. Eric stuck his hand in and pulled me up out of my seat. He closed the door when I was out of the way and the next thing I knew he had me up over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

I giggled at his chosen way of lifting me but didn't complain since it was a free ride and beggars shouldn't be choosers. The garage door closed and Eric let us into the house. He climbed the stairs slowly and put me down gently on his bed. I flopped over onto my side with the intention of taking off my shoes in a minute, but then Eric lifted my feet and did it for me.

"Honey, you don't have to do that. I have to get up and wash my face anyway," I hated going to sleep with the restaurant stink on me if I could help it.

"Shhh," he hushed me and took off my other shoe.

I watched him cross the room and grab one of my nightgowns from one of the drawers he'd cleared out for me to use for the duration of my stay. I'd been a little leery of unpacking my stuff like that since it wasn't permanent and putting my clothes in _his_ dresser felt permanent. He came back with a lightweight white cotton nightgown. I sat up slowly and put my arms over my head. He smirked and tugged my t-shirt up for me and pulled it over my head. The nightgown took its place and after peeling off my socks—I hated sleeping with socks on- he reached under my nightgown to get my shorts off.

It didn't escape my notice that my panties disappeared as well and even though I was sure he knew there was no way we were having sex just then, at least I was a step closer to being prepared for when he woke up in the morning. I forced myself out of bed to go wash my face and brush my teeth with Eric brushing his teeth right along side me. I climbed into bed again and made myself comfortable while Eric stripped down to his boxers before climbing in beside me.

He reached for the remote and turned the TV on. I was too exhausted to complain and snuggled into his side. I'm pretty sure I wished him a goodnight and told him I loved him before my eyes closed and I dropped back into my dreams.

**o.O.o.O.o**

The next day Eric not only went with me to supper at Gran's, but he went to church as well. We'd talked about religion a little bit here and there and while he wasn't sure he completely agreed with the Christian point of view, he didn't reject it either. Gran was delighted to see him with me when I arrived, and had insisted he sit next to her during the service. I'd told Eric he didn't need to wear a suit but he had insisted on doing it.

As soon as he was dressed, I wanted to rip his clothes right off but I figured I'd just enjoy it that much more later. It was funny how even Gran told him he was slightly overdressed, not to say that she disapproved. If anything, she gave Jason the stink eye for wearing a t-shirt and jeans. Then again, Jason had yet to tell anyone that Crystal had moved out of the house and back to Hot Shot. She didn't seem to have much interest in taking Syd with her, which was a good thing since I was pretty sure Jason would fight tooth and nail for custody of his daughter.

Eric was a bit of a fish out of water when it came to the flow of Sunday service but he tried to keep up with the rest of us. He followed along with me in my hymnal and sang as best he could for someone who didn't know the melodies of the songs we were singing. He helped Gran get up and down from all the kneeling we did and when the service ended, he politely took her arm. He was scoring points with her right and left but I didn't think he was doing it to suck up to Gran. She would have spotted that from a mile away.

By the time we got out to Eric's car (Gran insisted on introducing him to the Minister before we left) I was sweating bullets and I was wearing a sundress. Eric pulled off his jacket and the back of his shirt was just about soaked through with sweat. He'd wisely brought a change of clothes along with him, otherwise he would have spent the afternoon being mighty uncomfortable in his soggy suit. We soaked up the air conditioning as much as we could on the short drive back to Gran's.

"So what'd you think of the service?" I asked as Eric drove.

"It was…" he hesitated while considering his words. "It was interesting. I don't know if it was for me, exactly, but I can appreciate why it's important to so many people."

"Can I tell you a secret?" I smiled over at him.

"Of course," he reached for my hand and gave it a quick squeeze before he had to shift gears.

"I mostly go to church for Gran. I don't think God hears me any better there than he does on my living room sofa or at the breakfast table on Sunday morning. But I know it's important to her so I make it a point to go," I confessed.

"Your secret is safe with me," he promised and turned onto Hummingbird Lane.

It was the calm before the storm and I didn't even know it. A few minutes later we pulled into Gran's driveway, only to find Jason and Crystal screaming at each other in front of the house. Jason's face was bright red, Gran was holding a crying Syd on the front porch and Dad was moving fast to get between my brother and his whore of a wife.

"Oh shit," I muttered under my breath at the same time Eric said it. "What the hell is she doing here?"

Eric wisely parked his car a distance away from where Crystal and Jason looked like they were about to kill each other. I hoped she didn't think she was taking Syd with her. While it was true being a big cheater didn't make her a bad mother, I didn't like the idea of her taking Syd. I had this sinking feeling in my chest that if she got her hands on the baby, it'd be a long time before we saw her again.

As soon as the car came to a stop, I got out and marched over to where all the yelling was happening. Crystal's eyes were wild and I could tell she'd been crying. "She's my baby too, Jason! You can't just keep me from her because you're angry!"

"This ain't about you fucking Felton behind my back!" Jason shouted, having forgotten Gran was standing not too far away.

I saw the shock and hurt on Gran's face. She was a pretty open minded ole gal, but there were just certain things she couldn't turn a blind eye to and cheating was one of those things. The bigger shock to just about anyone who knew Jason would be knowing that it wasn't _him_ that was cheating. It figured the one time he was faithful, the woman he was with would get caught cheating on him.

"If you think for one second I'm letting you take Syd, you're out of your ever loving mind," Jason glared at Crystal.

"I got a lawyer, Jason. You can't keep her from me like I'm unfit to be her mother. I'm the one who takes care of her all day," Crystal reminded him.

"And without me, you got nowhere to go," Jason argued with her.

"I never shoulda married you!" Crystal screamed in frustration and then flew at Jason to attack him.

Dad ended up getting hit in the process of pulling Jason back so he wouldn't return the attack. I stepped forward to grab Crystal but Eric pulled me back and went after Crystal himself. He managed to get a hold of her arms and then lifted her up and out of the way. She kicked at his shins but he didn't put her down.

"You need to calm down before the sheriff has to come out here and sort this out. Understand?" Eric spoke with authority. "You aren't doing your daughter any favors by acting this way."

Poor Syd was having a meltdown on the porch and I didn't know what to do. Gran took the baby inside while I debated over whether or not to call the police. That seemed like the wisest thing to do since the situation had become violent. I was thankful Crystal hadn't brought Felton along, or we probably would have had a full scale fight on our hands. No doubt Crystal and Felton would have teamed up on Jason and I couldn't believe Crystal had the gall to show up at Gran's house to try and get her daughter back.

It took a lot of arguing but Jason and Crystal finally managed to come to some sort of agreement. He would keep Syd for the time being and Crystal would be allowed to come visit the next day after they both had a chance to cool down. Jason went into the house while Dad and I stayed on the porch. Eric walked Crystal to her car to make sure she actually got in and left like she was supposed to. She'd be a fool to try and get past him. Not only was he bigger, he was also faster and stronger than her.

The whole episode lasted less than twenty minutes but by the time Crystal left, it felt like we'd been at Gran's for hours. Dad went into the house first, leaving Eric and me on the porch. His pants were dusty from where he'd been kicked and there was a nasty scratch on his forearm. The only thing I could think of to do was hug him, and we stood there quietly for a few minutes before I insisted we go inside so I could clean up his arm.

"I'm fine, Sookie; it's just a scratch," he gave me a small smile.

"Yeah, but she might have slut rabies or something," I said as I pulled the screen door open and tugged a laughing Eric into the house behind me.

"Slut rabies?" Eric pulled me into another hug. "Lover, you're too much for me sometimes."

I didn't want to laugh but I couldn't help it. I was trapped somewhere between wanting to burst into tears and go kick that bitch's ass and of course, Eric had to do something to distract me. Why was he so damn good at that?

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><p><strong>That Crystal ain't nothing but trouble. Right now Jason's got 99 problems, and she's ALL of them. Up next we have Eric's birthday and he's <em>definitely<em> in the mood for Sushi *wiggles eyebrows* Thanks for reading!**


	33. Something 'Bout A Woman

**I love that you guys loved the "slut rabies" mentioned in the last chapter. I knew I'd heard it somewhere else but I couldn't remember where so I Googled it last night so I could properly credit my source. The term "slut rabies" came from an episode of _That 70's Show_ when Hyde teaches Jackie how to be cool. Only that Zen approach doesn't last forever and Jackie ends up kicking Lori's ass. During the fight, Donna gets bitten by Lori and she says, "I can't believe Lori bit me! I hope I don't get slut rabies." So, there you go. Now you know where I got that from.**

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><p><span>Chapter 33: Something 'Bout a Woman<span>

Three days later I was able to get out of work early and I sped back to Shreveport, hoping to catch Eric before he was awake. It was his birthday and I had all kinds of plans. Most of them required I be directly in his presence, preferably naked. I'd slipped out of bed quietly earlier in the morning so I wouldn't wake him up. I'd even showered in one of the guest bathrooms down the hall.

All of my planning was about to pay off. I'd been drinking pineapple juice on the sly for the last few days, remembering how Amelia had once told me it changed the way a girl tasted when she orgasmed and that information had been proven true on our trip in Florida when I was eating pineapple everyday. I parked on the driveway after making a few stops at various locations to pick up the few last minute things I needed but couldn't get before then without tipping Eric off as to what I was up to.

He'd tried to convince me to keep his birthday low key, and really, I did. I might have let it slip to Gran that Eric's birthday was coming up so I was pretty sure there would be a cake at the next Sunday dinner for that reason alone. I crept into the house as quietly as I could with all the bags I was carrying. I went to the kitchen to put the food in the fridge and then headed upstairs to get myself ready. Eric was out cold and thankfully, laying face up in the center of the bed. If I didn't know any better, I would think he might have been onto what I had planned for him.

He told me he wanted a quiet evening at home for his big day and while we would definitely be staying home, I couldn't guarantee it would stay quiet for very long. I went to one of the guest bedrooms and got undressed, saying a silent prayer of thanks that my boyfriend was the kind of guy who was more turned on by cheeky boyshorts than barely there g-strings since I hated those things. I folded my clothes, slipped on the shorts and sat on the edge of the bed to apply a lime coconut scented lotion I found. A single whiff of it sent me right back to Florida, which was easily the best week of my life.

My mind was racing with all the things I had planned and the images floating behind my eyes had me biting my lip and reconsidering if I was going to be able to control myself the way I needed to in order for this to go perfectly. I located the wide red ribbon I'd found in a craft store while shopping with Gran for yarn so she could get started on a baby blanket for one of the ladies in her DGD club who was expecting her first grandbaby. Gran had given me not to subtle looks the whole time, silently inquiring as to when it would be her time to be a Gran twice over.

While I could admit the idea of having a baby with Eric didn't scare me half to death, I knew it was way too soon to even consider it. I was careful about taking my birth control and even though Eric and I agreed we wanted kids someday, it didn't mean we were ready quite yet. I wrapped the ribbon around my chest a few times to keep the girls concealed and then tied a pretty bow right between them. I'd figured there was probably no gift I could give Eric that he would like more than me, which was both sweet and a little cheesy.

I fixed my makeup, curled my hair just the way I wanted it in big, loose waves and located the pretty pair of red shoes I'd bought to match my lacy shorts and the ribbon wrapped around me. I took one last look at myself in the mirror, along with a few deep breaths. I wasn't used to playing the role of seductress, but I was going to give it my all. I slowly opened the bedroom door and peered out into the hallway to make sure the coast was clear before I came all the way out.

I heard the faint sound of Eric's sporadic snore pattern and started to walk down the hall with my little bag of goodies behind my back. When I reached the bedroom I noticed his head had turned so he was facing the wall, but the rest of him was still sprawled out. I set the bag down on the nightstand and then carefully climbed up onto the bed. Eric being naked made my job a little easier which was good, since moving around with that ribbon tied around me wasn't as easy as I thought it would be.

I nibbled my bottom lip while I considered my plan of attack and I decided straddling him was probably the best way to go. Carefully, I swung my leg over him and slowly settled my weight on him. I watched his face to make sure I didn't wake him up quite yet. I had a few tricks up my sleeve I wanted to try out before he came to, but the movement of his eyelids had me wondering if he was dreaming or waking up.

I parked myself right on top of his crotch and then leaned forward to nibble my way up his neck. I made a brief detour at his ear and was just about to get started on that scruffy jaw of his when warm, strong hands settled on my ass, pulling me impossibly closer to him. My eyes flashed up to his but they were still closed. There was, however, a sleepy smile on his face.

"Happy birthday," I whispered against his lips and kissed him softly.

Only when I tried to pull away those hands came up and held me there, one holding the back of my hand and the other around my back. My hips shifted over hip, rocking gently until he rolled us over. Eric's eyes finally opened, and then nearly popped out of his head when he realized what I'd done.

"If this isn't my present, you're being cruel," he said between kisses.

"You said you wanted a quiet night in with me naked underneath you." My legs wrapped around him, holding him close to me.

Eric growled playfully and rubbed his hips against mine. He had just caught the tail end of the ribbon between his teeth to pull the bow free and unwrap his presents when the doorbell rang. The growl that bubbled out of him was nowhere near playful but I told him to ignore it. Whoever it was would get the hint if we just didn't answer the door.

Unfortunately, that didn't really work and the doorbell rang a second time. I sighed while Eric's eyes caught mine. "If that's a Jehovah Witness, do you think a jury would find me not guilty of murder by reason of cockblocking?" Eric asked me and I burst out laughing.

"You stay here. I'll get the door," I stretched forward to kiss him.

"You're not exactly dressed," he stared down at my breasts, licked his lips and then raised his hand to cop a feel.

"I can cover up. Besides, you're completely naked and if you get the door, someone might think you've got a baseball bat strapped to your hips," I snickered and then got a nudge from said baseball bat that made me moan. The doorbell rang a third time and as much as neither of us wanted me to, I got out of bed.

"Hurry back. I'm nowhere even close to finished with you yet," Eric said as I slipped my robe on.

I left him with the length of red ribbon and headed down the hall. I kicked my shoes off at the top of the stairs, thinking it would look pretty strange to whoever was at the door if I appeared in a terrycloth robe and five inch heels. Then again, the nerve of them to ring the bell three times like that. The bell had just chimed a fourth time when I got downstairs.

I peeked through the peephole to see if I recognized the person, hoping it was Pam just popping in for a visit. I gasped when all I saw was a pressed dress shirt. Jesus Christ, Shepherd of Judea, the man at the door was taller than Eric. I gulped, then flipped the deadbolt over. I kept the chain on the door, however, since I had no idea who was standing on the porch.

"Can I help you?" I asked politely, staring up at the man on the other side of the door.

God, that face! It took me all of two seconds to figure out he was Eric's father. He was enormous, for starters, and easily two or three inches taller than his son. It was easy to see why he would be an intimidating figure in the business world. The man was more suited to being a basketball player or maybe a wrestler in the WWE than he was a boardroom.

"I'm looking for Eric Northman," his voice was gruff and a little raspy. There was nothing warm or inviting about the man whatsoever.

"This is Eric's house. Who are you?" I offered a polite smile.

"Andrew Northman, Eric's father. Is he home? Who are you?" Andrew asked.

The movement upstairs told me Eric had heard the introduction and I had no doubt he'd be downstairs in a flash. I tried not to shuffle around too nervously while I introduced myself. "Oh, I uh, I'm Sookie Stackhouse. I'm Eric's girlfriend. Would you hold on just a second?" I asked and when he nodded, I closed the door to release the chain from its track. "Would you like to come in?"

Andrew was inside the second I opened the door wide enough for him. He was dressed in what had to be a custom made suit since I was sure his size wasn't sold off the rack. Heavy footsteps overhead alerted me that Eric was on his way but by the time he was coming down the stairs, Andrew was already making his way toward the kitchen. All I could do was tag along and hope that Eric wouldn't be pissed I'd let his father in the house.

"Can I get you something to drink, Mr. Northman?" I asked politely and went to the fridge.

"I'll take a Scotch if you have it," the man said while inspecting the woodworking.

"Sorry, Andrew, this is a dry house," Eric said as he walked into the kitchen.

Tension filled the air immediately and I felt the urge to flee the space so as not to get caught between the two giants. Eric had been pretty clear that he had a bad relationship with his father, so I was guessing Andrew's sudden appearance was a surprise. Only when I tried to slink out of the room, Eric caught me and pulled me to his side. Dammit.

Figures that I wasn't privy to his conversation with Sam, but I had to be in the room for whatever was about to go down with his old man. Being that I was pretty much naked and ready to sex up his son, this wasn't really the time I wanted to meet Eric's father. Talk about really shitty timing. All the same, I went about offering drinks and praying Eric didn't see the Red Star bag in the fridge or my surprise would be completely blown.

"Why don't you boys go have a seat in the living room and I'll fix us all some drinks?" I suggested, hoping a little southern charm would break up the tension.

I was wrong.

"She's a looker, son," Andrew said with a cocky smile that reminded me quite a bit of Eric's but the one I was familiar with wasn't quite so smarmy. What bothered me more was that he complimented _Eric_ on my looks like I was some damn trophy.

"She's standing right here, Andrew. Could you at least attempt to be respectful?" Eric sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

I really wanted to go upstairs and get dressed but Eric had something close to a vice grip on me. This really wasn't looking good and I felt weird about being between the two of them. My hostess instincts were kicking in the way an expectant mother would want to clean house but I was on lockdown beside the younger of the two giants. The tension only seemed to get thicker, the longer the silence continued.

"So, Mr. Northman, how was your flight? Will you be in town for long?" I asked as cheerfully as I could.

"The flight was fine but I think we're going to have to hire a new attendant. Serving drinks isn't all that complicated," Andrew said with a hint of boredom.

Eric leaned down and whispered, "What he means is, she's over twenty-five now."

Andrew completely ignored Eric's clarification, whether it was because he didn't hear it or because he didn't see the point in arguing, I wasn't sure. "I'll only be here a brief time. I simply wanted to come by and wish my son a happy birthday."

Eric snorted beside me and I elbowed him.

"Be nice," I whispered and got a glare from him in return for it. Truth be told, I wanted Andrew to go too, but I wasn't going to be rude about it. "Are you sure I can't get you something else to drink, Mr. Northman? I promise not to spill it on you."

"He won't be staying that long," Eric grumbled. "Listen, Andrew, Sookie and I already have plans for the evening. If you wanted some of my time, you should have called and let me know you were going to be in town. As it is, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"Eric!" I shook my head.

Andrew pulled an envelope from his pocket and laid it on the kitchen table. "I wanted to bring you this in person. I suspect your sister won't be happy with my decision, but then again, I'm not so thrilled with some of her choices either."

"What is it?' Eric asked but didn't move from his spot beside me.

"Open it," Andrew stared down at the envelope.

I tried to give Eric a push but he didn't budge. The whole macho display was really kind of ridiculous but I could understand why Eric was reluctant to take the step. From all I understood of their relationship, Andrew had tried to mold his son into a younger version of himself. I had hoped Eric was merely exaggerating but it was easy to see how it would be difficult to live with that kind of a person harping on you all the time. I decided then and there I was going to button my lip and not say another word unless I was spoken to first.

"Fine. Don't open it," Andrew shrugged. "I'll be in touch." With that, Andrew turned around and headed for the front door.

"It was nice meeting you, Mr. Northman!" I called out after him but he didn't acknowledge me in the slightest.

The heavy front door opened and then slammed shut a minute later. I sighed heavily and Eric finally released me from the grip he had on my upper arm. He turned away from me and for a minute I thought he might punch a cabinet or the countertop. I didn't know what to say or where to start so I just stayed quiet and waited for him to talk first.

But then ten minutes passed and Eric had yet to say something. I didn't want the rest of our night to be ruined but there was too much tension to just pick up where we left off. So I walked up behind him and wrapped my arms around his waist and pressed my cheek against his back. "Do you want to talk about it?" I asked.

"Why today? First of all, his secretary must have told him it was my birthday because in all my years, not once has he shown up. Second of all, whatever is in that envelope, I don't want it. I don't need anything one of his brilliant ideas coming between Pam and me. Mostly…mostly I'm pissed off because we had plans and now it's ruined." Eric's hands balled into angry fists.

"It's _not_ ruined, Eric. It's only ruined if you let him," I rubbed his stomach, finding it wasn't just his fists that were tensed up. "Are you hungry?"

"What?" he turned his head toward me.

"Are you hungry?" I asked and it was his stomach heard the question since it picked that moment to rumble. "You are hungry. You should go upstairs."

Eric looked at me like I'd lost my mind. "Um, the food is right here."

"I know, I know, but I have a surprise for you so would you please just go upstairs and let me set it up?" I pleaded with him.

He grinned as if he knew what I was going to do and maybe he did but I wasn't about to go spilling the beans, or the soy sauce. Eric agreed to give me my space and I promised to call him down as soon as it was all ready. With a kiss goodbye, he headed back upstairs and I could only imagine what he'd be doing until I called him back down.

I waited until I heard his feet overhead before going to the fridge and pulling out all of the things I would need to turn myself into a human serving dish. The whole thing was going to be pretty messy but it would be worth it just to see his face. Although I will say that I learned to be careful where I put wasabi. It took me almost a half hour to get myself covered in all the right places.

It was creepy as hell to have that fish on me but I kept telling myself I was doing it for Eric, which made it easier. When I was sure I was all set, I took a deep breath and then shouted for Eric.

"Eric! You can come down now!" I called out and the thunder of feet overhead made me laugh nervously. I could only hope I didn't look stupid, spread out on the kitchen table, covered in Japanese cuisine.

I stared up at the ceiling, praying silently that I got it right. My heart started to beat a little bit faster with every step I heard him taking down the stairs. By the time he was walking down the hallway toward the kitchen, I was damn near close to hyperventilating.

Then I heard him say, "Oh. My. God."

My head rolled to the side to see him smiling at me like he was about to have his last meal. I gulped, got myself as under control as I could and said, "Dinner is served."

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><p><strong>Okay, so Papa Northman wasn't supposed to make an appearance here but that jerk just wouldn't stop pestering me. He's a persistent a-hole. But don't worry, he hasn't ruined the birthday mojo. He did, however, force me to split Eric's birthday celebration up into two chapters, so you'll have to wait for the really fun part of Eric's birthday until next time. Forgive me? *bats eyelashes* Thanks for reading!<strong>


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